EA Cancels Black Panther Game, Shuts Down Cliffhanger Studio

Electronic Arts has officially canceled its upcoming Black Panther game and is shutting down the development studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games, according to an exclusive report by IGN.

In a company-wide email sent by Laura Miele, President of EA Entertainment, she stated that these decisions are part of a broader strategy to "sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities."

The shutdown of Cliffhanger Games and cancellation of Black Panther are accompanied by additional layoffs across EA’s mobile and central teams. While EA did not disclose the exact number of affected employees, sources indicate that this round impacts fewer individuals than the approximately 300 roles eliminated last month at Respawn and EA's Fan Care teams—though the precise figure remains unconfirmed.

Miele acknowledged the difficulty of these choices, writing: “These decisions are hard. They affect people we’ve worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with.” The company emphasized its commitment to supporting impacted employees through internal placement programs, which have helped relocate staff to other departments in past restructuring efforts.

Despite ongoing reductions, EA has significantly increased overall staffing in recent months. According to reporting from Game File, the company employed 800 more workers as of March 2025 compared to the same time in 2024—suggesting strategic shifts rather than pure downsizing.

Looking ahead, EA will continue focusing on its core franchises: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. The company also confirmed continued investment in key titles such as the Iron Man game at Motive Studios, the next Star Wars: Jedi title, and the next entry in the Mass Effect series under Bioware. Mobile development will persist despite today’s cuts.

Notably, EA Sports operates as a separate division and remains unaffected by these changes for now.

The Black Panther project was part of a three-title agreement between EA and Marvel, which also included the Iron Man game and one undisclosed title. Since its announcement in 2023, very little had been revealed about Black Panther, though earlier reports indicated it was a single-player, action-adventure, open-world title being developed by Cliffhanger Games—a new studio formed in 2023 with talent from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, led by Kevin Stephens.

This news follows a pattern of multiple cancellations and layoffs across EA in recent years, particularly in 2025. Last month alone saw around 300 roles eliminated, including nearly 100 at Respawn, along with the cancellation of an in-development Titanfall game and another incubation title. Earlier in 2025, BioWare underwent restructuring, with some team members reassigned and others laid off. In 2024, a global restructuring resulted in 670 job losses, including roughly two dozen at Respawn. And in 2023, layoffs hit both BioWare and Codemasters.

Adding to the uncertainty, EA recently enforced a mandatory return-to-office policy, prompting concerns among remote employees about the future stability of their roles.

When contacted for further details—including the number of affected employees, the rationale behind the repeated cuts, or whether more layoffs are expected—EA directed IGN back to Miele’s internal message. Marvel has not yet responded to requests for comment.