IGN has revealed that Electronic Arts has officially discontinued their development of the Black Panther game. The studio responsible for this project, Cliffhanger Games, has been permanently closed, and an undisclosed number of EA employees have been terminated across various departments. According to IGN, these layoffs are fewer than the 300 employees affected last month. Cliffhanger Games, established in 2023 with a team previously involved in the Shadow of Mordor series, had yet to deliver any projects before its closure. This Black Panther game was one of three Marvel titles EA was developing; the other two, an unannounced project and an Iron Man game, remain unaffected by these developments.

Black Panther project halted, studio dissolved, and layoffs announced

Despite EA’s steady growth over the past decade, as noted by Game File, the company has faced significant challenges in recent years. Last month, 300 employees were terminated, with 100 of these cuts impacting Respawn Entertainment, alongside the cancellation of a Titanfall game. In response to IGN’s inquiry, Laura Miele, EA’s Entertainment President, stated that the company aims to concentrate on its successful franchises, including the upcoming Battlefield 6, The Sims, Skate, Apex Legends, the Iron Man game, Respawn’s next Jedi title, and BioWare’s ongoing Mass Effect project.

Miele emphasized that the company’s objective is to “refocus and channel creative efforts into its most promising opportunities.” EA has historically sought to place terminated employees in other studio roles, a process that appears to be ongoing, though its success remains uncertain. This mirrors BioWare’s situation earlier this year, where the conclusion of Dragon Age: The Veilguard left insufficient work for its staff ahead of the Mass Effect project.

The gaming industry has experienced unprecedented layoffs over the last few years. In 2024 alone, approximately 14,600 developers were terminated, according to data tracked by Riot Games’ Farhan Noor. While this challenging period continues, it is hoped that affected employees will find stable opportunities moving forward.