EA Terminates Black Panther Project, Closes Cliffhanger Studio

Electronic Arts has decided to cancel its upcoming Black Panther game and shut down Cliffhanger Games, according to IGN.

In an internal email from EA Entertainment president Laura Miele, she explained that these changes, combined with other recent cancellations and layoffs, aim to "focus our efforts and channel creative energy into the most promising growth areas."

Besides closing Cliffhanger and scrapping Black Panther, EA is also reducing staff in its mobile and central teams. When pressed for specific numbers of affected employees, EA declined to provide details. IGN reports that the number of impacted individuals in this round is lower than the approximately 300 roles cut last month across Respawn and EA's Fan Care teams, though the exact figure remains unconfirmed.

"These choices are difficult," Miele stated in her email. "They impact colleagues we’ve collaborated with, learned from, and shared meaningful experiences with. We’re committed to supporting them, including exploring opportunities to reassign them to new roles within EA, where we’ve successfully placed others in the past."

As in previous layoffs, EA is working to reassign affected employees to other positions within the company. This reassignment program has been utilized in recent years, despite ongoing team reductions, likely because EA has significantly expanded headcount in other areas. According to Game File, EA’s workforce grew by 800 employees as of March this year compared to the same period in 2024.

Miele’s email outlined that EA will now prioritize a select group of franchises: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. She also confirmed continued investment in Motive’s Iron Man game, the third Star Wars: Jedi title, and BioWare’s next Mass Effect project, while maintaining its mobile business despite the recent cuts. Last year, CEO Andrew Wilson stated that EA would shift away from developing future licensed IP unlikely to succeed in the evolving industry.

The email did not address EA Sports, as Miele oversees EA Entertainment, a separate division from EA Sports. IGN understands that the sports division remains unaffected by these changes for now.

Notably, the Black Panther game was part of a three-game deal between Marvel and EA, which also includes Iron Man and an unannounced third title. Since its 2023 announcement, little has been revealed about Black Panther, though a job listing indicated it was planned as a single-player, action-adventure, open-world game. Cliffhanger Games, now closed, was established in 2023 with former Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor developers and led by Kevin Stephens.

These reductions follow several rounds of layoffs and cancellations at EA in recent years, particularly in 2025. Last month, EA cut approximately 300 jobs, including about 100 at Respawn, while canceling a Titanfall project and another early-stage initiative. Earlier this year, EA restructured BioWare, reassigning some developers and laying off others. In 2024, a major company-wide restructuring led to 670 layoffs, including around two dozen at Respawn. In 2023, 50 jobs were eliminated at BioWare, with additional cuts at Codemasters.

Additionally, EA recently enforced a mandatory return-to-office policy for all employees, raising concerns among some remote workers about the long-term status of their roles, according to IGN.

When asked for specifics on the number of affected employees, the reasons behind the repeated cuts, or the likelihood of future reductions, EA pointed IGN back to Miele’s email. Marvel has not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment.