Electronic Arts has surprised the gaming community with the announcement of the cancellation of the Black Panther game., as well as the permanent closure of Cliffhanger Games, the studio responsible for its development. The explanations come amid cutbacks and reorganization at the company, which seeks to focus resources on franchises considered to have greater economic and creative potential.
The draft Black Panther It was presented in 2023 and had generated expectations. due to its approach: an open-world video game with a narrative focus, starring one of Marvel's most charismatic superheroes. However, the internal statement signed by Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment, left no room for doubt: The initiative is canceled and the Seattle studio is closing with immediate effect..
EA's roadmap and the reasons for the closure
As Miele itself explained in the email addressed to the staff, the decision responds to the need to redirect efforts toward “more significant growth opportunities”EA is now betting heavily on its own brands like Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. As a result, External projects or those with less commercial potential are left out of the roadmap., despite the interest generated among fans and the specialized press.
The closure particularly affects Cliffhanger Games, a studio founded in 2023 by Kevin Stephens and former members of Monolith Productions —creators of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor—. The team was formed with the goal of bringing a fresh and ambitious vision to one of Marvel's most exciting universes, but the project barely made it out of its public conceptualization phase and no footage or solid gameplay details were ever shown.
A promising title that remains in the pipeline
The idea behind the game of Black Panther was to deliver a third-person action-adventure set in Wakanda, with sandbox mechanics and a narrative independent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was one of three titles included in the agreement between Marvel and EA, along with the Iron Man game (currently in the hands of Motive Studios) and a third project of which few details are known.
The layoffs resulting from the closure of Cliffhanger Games add to the three major rounds of cuts that EA has executed only in 2025. Although the company has not given exact figures, it is known that they affect to a lesser extent than the wave that hit Respawn and other teams last month, when more than 300 workers lost their jobs. EA management emphasizes that An attempt will be made to relocate affected employees, a measure that has already been implemented on other occasions to retain talent within the organization.
The future of Marvel games and EA's new direction
The cancellation has raised questions about the future of the agreement between Marvel and Electronic Arts. The Iron Man video game, developed by EA Motive, is still in development., as well as the third chapter of Star Wars: Jedi and the upcoming Mass Effect. While these moves create uncertainty, the company reaffirms its long-term collaboration with Marvel. However, many wonder if the third game agreed upon under the agreement will ever see the light of day.
Meanwhile The EA Sports division continues to operate outside of these restructurings. and will not be affected by the recent changes. Furthermore, the company has recently implemented the obligation to return to the office for its employees, which has generated concern among those who telework regarding their future employment.
Cliffhanger Games: A talented studio says goodbye
the disappearance of Cliffhanger Games represents the end of an interesting venture in the third-person action video game scene. The studio was made up of experienced professionals who had collaborated on such important sagas as Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Halo, God of War and Call of Duty. Many see this closure as a reflection of the New priorities in the industry, where profitability and brand consolidation seem to have displaced risky projects and original creativity.
Despite the impact of the news and the disappointment of the fans, EA insists that supporting its employees is a priority, maintaining internal relocation programs, and remembers that the reinforcement of some departments compensates for the reduction in others —in March 2025, EA had 800 more workers than the previous year—.
The current landscape of Electronic Arts shows how a large company can radically change its focus in a short period of time, abandoning promising projects like Black Panther and betting on established franchises in the face of market uncertainty. The cancellation of the Wakanda video game exemplifies the the toughness of the industry and the demands of a constantly evolving sectorFans of the Marvel universe will have to wait and see if Black Panther gets another chance in the video game world in the future.
