Black Panther videogame get cancelled and EA closes the developer studio
EA officially cancels the superhero game, announcing the closure of Cliffhanger Games, the studio behind the project.
The Black Panther game, announced in 2023, was officially canceled by Electronics Arts (EA). According to a report from IGN, EA shared the news via email with the employees. As a result of this cancellation, Cliffhanger Games, the studio behind the project, has been shut down.
Cliffhanger was created to develop Black Panther. Its lead was Kevin Stephens, a well-known game developer who was the head of Monolith Productions, the studio responsible for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, a Lord of the Rings game.
The new focus on its oldest projects
Andrew Wilson, EA Chief, has made it clear that the priority of the company is their biggest franchises. It includes all EA Sports division, The Sims, Battlefield, and Apex Legends. Licensed games are not on the top list although they have Star Wars Jedi, an Iron Man Game, and another Marvel action game under development.
Laura Miele, EA Entertainment president, wrote in the email sent to the staff this Wednesday that these moves were meant to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities." She also wrote: “They affect people we’ve worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with. We’re doing everything we can to support them."
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is a game developed by Skydance Interactive that also includes Black Panther, and it will be released in 2026. Photo: Skydance Interactive
More than one laid off in 2025
Variety confirmed that fewer than 300 employees were let go by EA in April. This is the third layoff of the year for the company. The games affected by this are Star Wars Jedi and Apex Legends, both of which are online battle royale. However, there is no information about the closure of these games.
The Black Panther game cancellation could improve the development of Skydance Interactive's Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. This game is expected to be released in 2026 and has Captain America and Black Panther as two playable characters. When this game was announced, people were expecting a teaser of EA's project to compare them.
