EA Axes Black Panther Game, Devs Heartbroken

EA developers have responded to the cancellation of their Black Panther game and the shutdown of Cliffhanger Games studio across social media platforms.

Since its 2023 announcement, minimal details emerged about Black Panther, though it was confirmed as a single-player, open-world action-adventure title. Development was handled by the now-defunct Cliffhanger Games, established in 2023 with veterans from Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, led by Kevin Stephens.

EA Entertainment president Laura Miele explained in an internal email obtained by IGN that these decisions, along with recent cancellations and layoffs, aim to "refocus our priorities and concentrate resources on the most promising growth opportunities."

"These choices are difficult," Miele stated. "They impact colleagues we've collaborated with and learned from. We're providing full support, including helping team members transition to other EA positions when possible."

Following the announcement, former project members shared emotional farewells on social media while encouraging other studios to hire the affected developers.

"I was privileged to contribute to this extraordinary team," said concept artist Karla Ortiz. "We poured our hearts into creating something visually stunning and deeply detailed. It's devastating that players will never experience it."

Senior Environment Architect Freddie Lee reflected: "During my brief tenure, I worked alongside inspiring talents like Karla who elevated my professional growth. This team truly represented the best in the industry." He added the closure "caught everyone completely off guard."

Game designer Sophie Mallinson praised her colleagues: "This was a dream team working on what could have been an incredible Black Panther RPG featuring the Nemesis System. Any studio would be lucky to hire these developers."

Rayme Vinson, former Respawn developer now at Gravity Well, shared insights after seeing the project firsthand during staff transitions: "Their vision was ambitious and special - I genuinely looked forward to playing even an unfinished version."

These cuts follow multiple EA restructuring moves in recent years. Last month saw 300 layoffs including 100 at Respawn, alongside cancellations of a Titanfall project and another prototype. Earlier this year, BioWare underwent reorganization with some developers reassigned and others dismissed. The 2024 restructuring eliminated 670 positions across EA, including approximately two dozen Respawn staff, while 2023 saw 50 BioWare cuts and unspecified reductions at Codemasters.

EA now emphasizes core franchises: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. Development continues on Motive's Iron Man, Star Wars: Jedi 3, and BioWare's next Mass Effect, alongside EA Sports titles like FC and Madden which operate as a separate division.