EA cancels Black Panther sport and closes studio creating it

EA is cancelling its Black Panther sport and shutting the studio creating it, Cliffhanger Video games, as half of a bigger spherical of layoffs on the firm, IGN reports. The third-person action-adventure sport was originally announced in July 2023 as one among a number of Marvel initiatives being developed at EA studios.

IGN writes {that a} smaller variety of persons are being laid off than the previous round of cuts that impacted Titanfall developer Respawn, however EA remains to be eliminating roles exterior of Cliffhanger, together with folks on the writer’s “cell and central groups.” EA is reportedly telling employees that the layoffs are a solution to “sharpen our focus and put our artistic vitality behind probably the most vital progress alternatives.”

As of proper now, these “alternatives” embrace an Iron Man game in improvement at EA Motive, the subsequent Star Wars Jedi sport from Respawn, and new entries in just a few key franchises, like The Sims, Battlefield, Skate and Apex Legends. Past that, the corporate has EA Sports activities and the subsequent Mass Impact sport, although Bioware has gone via multiple rounds of layoffs since 2023, so there’s uncertainty there, too. In an identical solution to the way it approached Bioware’s restructuring, IGN experiences that EA is looking for roles for no less than some Cliffhanger Video games employees in different components of the corporate.

Engadget has contacted EA for remark and can replace this text if we hear again.

EA rising disinterest in licensed video games as been public since no less than February 2024, when CEO Andrew Wilson announced that the corporate was “shifting away from improvement of future licensed IP that we don’t consider shall be profitable in our altering trade.” The corporate just lately introduced a brand new technique sport utilizing the Star Wars license — Star Wars Zero Company — however that appears extra like an outlier than the norm.

EA’s Black Panther sport wasn’t the one mission that includes the character — Amy Hennig’s Marvel 19943: Rise of Hydra hasn’t been cancelled but — nevertheless it does appears unusual the corporate gave up so simply. Black Panther made over $1.3 billion throughout its authentic run in theaters. It appears solely attainable the identical viewers that loved the film would present up for a brand new sport that includes their favourite Marvel character.