Despite a string of successful launches by smaller developers, the larger gaming industry continues to face severe setbacks. EA has reportedly cancelled the single-player Black Panther project and shut down Cliffhanger Games, the studio behind it. Led by former Monolith Productions head Kevin Stephens, the team included veteran developers and was seen as a beacon of hope following Monolith’s own closure and the cancellation of Wonder Woman.
EA’s Email and the Wave of Layoffs
IGN reports that EA Entertainment president Laura Miele informed staff of the closure in an internal email, calling it a difficult decision. She added that the company would help affected employees find new roles within EA. However, this announcement comes alongside further layoffs across EA’s mobile and central teams—marking the publisher’s third wave of job cuts in 2025.
This year began with layoffs in the Dragon Age team. Then came the cancellation of two early-stage projects at Respawn, one allegedly a Titanfall extraction shooter. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that 300 to 400 developers were let go, with about 100 from Respawn alone.
Why Cancel Black Panther Now?
EA cited a renewed focus on its highest-growth opportunities, naming Apex Legends, The Sims, Battlefield, and Skate as core franchises moving forward. However, this shift seemingly comes at the expense of ambitious single-player projects like Black Panther. EA also failed to confirm how these priorities affect its sports franchises, like Madden and EA Sports FC.
Historically, EA has struggled to justify single-player projects unless they show strong commercial potential. Despite critical acclaim, 2023’s Dead Space remake didn’t meet expectations, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard launched after years of delays only to fall short. CEO Andrew Wilson recently suggested that RPGs need shared-world elements to appeal to a broader audience.
What About Other EA Marvel Games?
While Black Panther has been scrapped, EA maintains that its partnership with Marvel remains strong. According to Miele, development continues for Motive’s Iron Man, Respawn’s next Star Wars Jedi title, and BioWare’s next Mass Effect. These projects, unlike Black Panther, are tied to franchises with proven financial success.
However, Star Wars: Zero Company, a single-player tactical game similar to XCOM, remains a wildcard. It’s unclear if it’s still in development or even part of EA’s deal with Marvel, which was supposed to include three titles. Considering the popularity of Black Panther in the MCU, its cancellation raises questions about what EA deems a viable investment.
EA Sports FC25’s Role in the Fallout
Much of EA’s recent strategy shift appears driven by financial shortfalls. In January, the company revised its fiscal year bookings downward due to FC25’s underperformance. Despite being one of the year’s top sellers, it missed player projections and suffered a rough launch, contributing to a 15% drop in EA’s stock and a $6 billion market value loss.
Live service bookings declined instead of increasing, despite EA banking heavily on Ultimate Team. With College Football 25 doing well but unable to offset the decline, EA resorted to cutbacks across several teams. This chain reaction led to Mass Effect getting prioritized, Dragon Age staff losing their jobs, and projects like Black Panther getting shelved.
The Bigger Picture for EA and Single-Player Games
For fans, the most crushing detail is what might have been. Cliffhanger’s Black Panther was reportedly built around a dynamic open-world story system, possibly a spiritual successor to Monolith’s Nemesis system. Losing that project—and the studio behind it—hurts even more when paired with the news that EA once canceled a Mandalorian game from Respawn.
Even as EA says the Marvel partnership continues, these moves highlight the company’s short-term financial mindset. Long-term creative risks like Black Panther are seemingly less appealing than live service models with predictable revenue.
Meanwhile, the rest of the industry isn’t faring much better. With studio closures from Sony to Microsoft and now EA, the job market for developers grows more unstable by the day. Regardless of how strong a resume is, finding a studio to call home in 2025 is becoming increasingly difficult.
