Electronic Arts (EA) has made the decision to cancel its upcoming Black Panther game and is shutting down Cliffhanger Games, the studio responsible for its development, as part of a broader restructuring effort that includes layoffs, according to IGN reports. The game, announced in July 2023, was envisioned as a third-person action-adventure title and was one of several Marvel projects in development at EA studios.

While the number of layoffs this time around is reportedly smaller than in the previous round that affected Titanfall developer Respawn, EA is nonetheless eliminating roles outside of Cliffhanger Games, including positions within its mobile and central teams. The company’s rationale, as communicated to staff, is to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities,” IGN writes.

Current priorities for EA include an Iron Man game under development at EA Motive, the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi series from Respawn, and new entries in key franchises such as The Sims, Battlefield, Skate, and Apex Legends. Additionally, the company is focusing on EA Sports and the forthcoming Mass Effect game, although Bioware, the studio behind Mass Effect, has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs since 2023, introducing uncertainty into its projects. Similarly to its approach with Bioware, EA is attempting to find new roles within the company for at least some of the staff from Cliffhanger Games, IGN reports.

Engadget has reached out to EA for a statement and will update this article if a response is received.

EA’s diminishing interest in licensed games has been apparent since at least February 2024, when CEO Andrew Wilson announced the company’s decision to “move away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry.” Although EA recently unveiled Star Wars Zero Company, a strategy game utilizing the Star Wars license, this move seems to be an exception rather than the rule.

The cancellation of the Black Panther game is notable, especially given that it wasn’t the only project featuring the character. Amy Hennig’s Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra has not been cancelled and is still in development. The decision to abandon the Black Panther game seems premature, considering the significant box office success of the Black Panther movie, which generated over $1.3 billion during its initial theatrical run. It’s plausible that the audience who enjoyed the film would also be interested in a game featuring the character.