EA cancels Cliffhanger and cancels Black Panther game

Another project based on licensed properties was terminated by Electronic Arts, this time the highly anticipated title of Black Panther, which was in production by the newly created studio Cliffhanger Games. The company also announced the definitive closure of the studio, founded in 2023 with the sole purpose of leading the development of the Marvel game.

The information was revealed by IGN, which had access to an internal email signed by Laura Miele, president of the EA Entertainment division. In the statement, Miele stated that the decision was motivated by the need to "focus creative energy on the biggest growth opportunities" of the company. The restructuring also included cuts in mobile and central EA teams, although the exact number of layoffs was not disclosed.

“We will focus our investments on a select group of franchises,” Miele wrote in the internal email.

Among the properties that will receive priority attention are:

• Battlefield
• The Sims
• Skate
• Apex Legends
• Iron Man Game, still in production at Motive studio
• Third game in the Star Wars Jedi saga
• Mass Effect Franchise
   

The EA Sports division, although not directly mentioned, will not be affected, according to internal sources. On the other hand, the future of licensed properties remains uncertain, especially after CEO Andrew Wilson declared in 2024 that the company intends to move away from IPs that "do not seem viable in the current industry landscape."

The Black Panther project was announced alongside the agreement between EA and Marvel for three games, of which only the Iron Man one is still active. The canceled title would have been a single-player, open-world, and narrative-focused game, as revealed by a job listing from Cliffhanger. The studio was led by Kevin Stephens, former producer of the Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor franchise, and had an experienced team in action and adventure games.

This is another among several cuts made by EA in 2025. In April, the company had already canceled a new project from the Titanfall series and an early-stage prototype, as well as laid off about 300 employees, including 100 from Respawn Entertainment. The current wave of restructuring, although smaller, reinforces a trend that is affecting even traditional studios like BioWare and Codemasters.

Neither EA nor Marvel have officially commented on the cancellation of the Black Panther game, but the silence raises doubts about the publisher's commitment to titles based on external licenses. With the closure of Cliffhanger Games, EA's initial plan to diversify its portfolio with superheroes seems more unstable than ever.