Nearly two years ago, EA and Cliffhanger Games confirmed that the rumors about a new Black Panther title were true. Cliffhanger, a studio formed by former Monolith developers, was working on a third-person, single-player action game starring the Marvel hero.
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EA Shuts Down Cliffhanger Games and Cancels Black Panther Project Amid Layoffs and Studio Restructuring
According to a recent report by IGN, EA has finally canned the Black Panther project and folded not just Edge of Reality, but all of Cliffhanger Games as well. It’s part of a wider purge of positions at EA, which in recent weeks has cut 300–400 jobs, cancelled an early-stage project at Respawn, and started to phase out remote work practices in favor of Everybody Coming To Office. The layoffs are said to impact personnel not only at Cliffhanger but also at EA’s mobile and central teams. The company has not revealed how many in total were affected.
EA president Laura Miele described the move as one of many “hard” decisions the company has taken recently. She said the layoffs are part of a push to focus creative energy on the company’s strongest growth areas. In her internal message, Miele stated EA is making efforts to support affected developers, including trying to relocate them to other roles within the company. Going forward, EA’s Entertainment division plans to focus on The Sims, Skate, Battlefield, and Apex Legends.
Despite the recent cancellations, Respawn is still developing the third game in the Star Wars Jedi series, and Motive Studio’s Iron Man game is still underway. Even so, the loss of the Black Panther project casts doubt on the future of licensed IP games under EA, especially given CEO Andrew Wilson’s previous comments about stepping back from such titles.
The closure of Cliffhanger is particularly disheartening, as the studio was founded by veterans of Monolith, the team behind Shadow of Mordor and its beloved nemesis system. With both Monolith and now Cliffhanger gone, it marks a somber end for a group of developers once known for their innovation.
FAQs
Why was the Black Panther game canceled?
EA canceled it to focus on bigger growth opportunities and restructure their studios.
What happened to Cliffhanger Games?
EA shut down Cliffhanger Games, along with canceling the Black Panther project.
