Electronic Arts is ending development of the Black Panther game, announced in 2023, which was developed by Cliffhanger Games. The studio is also being closed, and its employees will be offered other roles within the company, IGN reports.
In a letter sent to employees by EA Entertainment president Laura Miele, it is said that these cuts and game cancellations, along with other recent changes at the company, are being made to "sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities."
In addition to the closure of Cliffhanger Games, EA is also making cuts to its core and mobile studios. The exact number of layoffs is unknown, but IGN estimates that this is a smaller number than in previous layoffs in late April, when 300 to 400 people were laid off and a new game, Titanfall, was canceled. At the same time, EA's total headcount, despite the active layoffs, has increased by 800 people compared to last year.
Miele also noted that EA will focus on a few core franchises going forward – Battlefield, The Sims, Skate and Apex Legends. In addition, the company is continuing work on the next game, Star Wars: Jedi, while Bioware, according to recent reports, has reduced its team and is fully focused on the new Mass Effect.
Black Panther, which was supposed to be a single-player open-world adventure game, isn't the only Marvel game EA has been working on. Miele says the company is still working on an Iron Man project. There was also a third, as-yet-unannounced game as part of the deal between EA and Marvel, but nothing is known about it yet. Miele only noted that the collaboration with Marvel is ongoing.