EA cancels Black Panther game, shuts down Cliffhanger Games studio

EA has cancelled its Black Panther game and closed Cliffhanger Games, citing a sharper focus on key franchises.

Electronic Arts has cancelled its Black Panther game and closed the studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games, less than two years after the project was announced.

The decision was confirmed following a report by IGN, and marks another chapter in a series of layoffs and restructurings at the gaming giant.

The cancellation was announced internally via an email from Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment and Technology, who said the move was part of an effort to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.”

While the Black Panther project is no more, EA stated it would continue development on other high-profile titles, including the Iron Man game announced in 2022, the next Star Wars: Jedi instalment, and a new entry in the Mass Effect series.

The single player Black Panther video game has been canceled at Electronic Arts and Cliffhanger Games has been closed.

(Source: IGN) pic.twitter.com/xFUrIEeoWJ

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) May 28, 2025

Core franchises such as Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends will remain a priority for the company.

“These decisions are hard,” Miele wrote, acknowledging the human cost of the restructuring. “They affect people we’ve worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with. We’re doing everything we can to support them—including finding opportunities within EA, where we’ve had success helping people land in new roles.”

The end of Cliffhanger Games comes shortly after EA laid off an estimated 300–400 employees in April, and cancelled two early-stage “incubation projects,” including a new Titanfall concept.

Those actions followed significant cuts at BioWare earlier this year, after Dragon Age: The Veilguard reportedly underperformed.

Cliffhanger Games was established in 2023 with the ambitious goal of delivering a narrative-rich, single-player Black Panther experience.

Its swift closure underscores the increasing financial and creative pressures within the gaming industry—particularly for projects outside EA’s established blockbuster catalogue.