EA has cancelled its Black Panther game and shut down the developer that was making it, it’s been revealed via IGN. In an email shared with the outlet, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said the closure is happening so the publisher can “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities”.
Miele then says EA is focusing on the following IPs going forward: Battlefield, Skate, The Sims, and Apex Legends. It also has an Iron Man game in the works, the third Star Wars Jedi title from Respawn Entertainment, and a new Mass Effect entry from BioWare.
Cliffhanger Games was the team behind the untitled Black Panther project, which was first announced in July 2023. The developer was being led by Kevin Stephens, who previously was the studio head of Monolith Productions and helped bring Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War to PS4.
The decision to cancel the project was described as “hard” by Miele. “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.” Layoffs are also taking place across EA’s mobile and central teams according to IGN.
Cliffhanger Games had also recruited talent from the Gears of War and Halo franchises to bring the Black Panther game to life, and was looking at making a third-person, single player experience. None of that work will see the light of day anymore.