Electronic Arts (EA) has officially canceled its highly anticipated Black Panther video game and shuttered the studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games, as part of a broader wave of internal restructuring.
The announcement was shared in an internal memo by Laura Miele, President of EA Entertainment, who cited a need to focus on “the most significant growth opportunities” as the company realigns its priorities. While specific layoff figures weren’t disclosed, sources say this latest round is smaller than the 300 jobs cut in March, which affected staff at Respawn and EA’s Fan Care division.
“These decisions are difficult,” Miele wrote. “They impact people we’ve worked with and learned from. We’re committed to supporting them, including placing them in other roles at EA.”
Founded in 2023, Cliffhanger Games was a Seattle-based studio led by Kevin Stephens, former head of Shadow of Mordor. The team had been working on a single-player, open-world Black Panther adventure set in the Marvel universe. The game was part of a broader deal between EA and Marvel, which also includes the upcoming Iron Man title from Motive Studio and a third unannounced project.
Despite the setback, EA confirmed its partnership with Marvel remains active. “Our collaboration with Marvel is strong,” Miele assured in the memo.
The decision to shut down Cliffhanger and halt Black Panther comes amid a series of high-profile cutbacks at EA. In 2025 alone, the publisher canceled a Titanfall project and laid off nearly 100 employees at Respawn. In 2024, more than 670 positions were eliminated during a sweeping corporate restructuring.
EA’s workforce has still grown by about 800 employees since March 2024, according to Game File, but the company is narrowing its focus. Going forward, EA plans to concentrate on a core lineup of key franchises, including Battlefield, The Sims, Apex Legends, and Skate. Other major titles in development—like the Star Wars Jedi sequel and Mass Effect—remain active under BioWare and Motive.
Meanwhile, EA’s mobile division, though downsized, will continue operations. However, the company’s return-to-office policy has stirred unrest among remote workers, many of whom fear further job insecurity.
As of now, Marvel has not publicly responded to the game’s cancellation, and EA has declined to provide additional comment.
