EA developers have expressed their disappointment on social media following the cancellation of the Black Panther game and the closure of its developer, Cliffhanger Games.

Announced in 2023, little was revealed about Black Panther, though it was set to be a single-player, action-adventure, open-world title. The now-defunct Cliffhanger Games, established in 2023 with former Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor developers and led by Kevin Stephens, was behind the project.

In an email to employees, reviewed by IGN, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele explained that these changes, along with other recent cancellations and layoffs, aim to "prioritize our efforts and channel creativity into our greatest growth opportunities."

"These choices are tough," Miele stated. "They impact colleagues we’ve collaborated with, learned from, and shared meaningful experiences with. We’re committed to supporting them, including exploring opportunities within EA to help them find new roles."

In response to the announcement, EA staff and others involved in the project took to social media to bid farewell to Black Panther and urge other companies to hire the affected developers.

“I was part of this remarkable team,” said concept artist Karla Ortiz. “We were crafting an extraordinary and visually stunning game—rich, detailed, and breathtaking. It’s devastating that the world won’t see it."

“It’s equally heartbreaking to part with this team. Working with you all was an honor. What a tragic day,” she added.

Ortiz continued: “Every developer poured their heart into this game. It was crafted with immense care and beauty.” She noted, “We were so eager to share it with the world! It was truly unique.” She concluded, “All I can say is we had something extraordinary.”

Senior Environment Architect II, Freddie Lee, shared: “This news came out of nowhere today. In my brief time there, I had the privilege of working with talents like Karla, whose art inspired me and the team, fostering confidence and growth in my work. This team was, and remains, exceptional.”

He added: "It caught us completely off guard."

Game designer Sophie Mallinson commented: “This was a ✧˖° stellar team °˖✧—any studio would be lucky to hire those who worked on this project. It’s heartbreaking that we may never see a Black Panther ARPG from the creators of the Nemesis System!”

Rayme Vinson, former Respawn developer and now principal technical designer at Gravity Well, reflected on the project’s potential: “When the Star Wars FPS was canceled, we got a close look at this game and spoke with their team, as they could take on some of our staff. What they were building was bold and unique—I was genuinely excited to play it one day, even if they’d only achieved a fraction of their vision.”

Patrick Wren, senior encounter designer on Jedi Survivor at Respawn, remarked: “Morale is at an all-time low. That’s all I’ll say.”

These cuts follow several rounds of layoffs and cancellations at EA in recent years, particularly in 2025. Last month, EA laid off approximately 300 employees, including around 100 at Respawn, while canceling an in-development Titanfall game and another early-stage project. Earlier this year, EA restructured BioWare, reassigning some developers to other projects and laying off others. In 2024, a major restructuring led to 670 layoffs company-wide, including around two dozen at Respawn. In 2023, 50 jobs were cut at BioWare, and an unspecified number were eliminated at Codemasters.

EA is now concentrating on key franchises: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. The company confirmed it will continue developing its Iron Man game at Motive and the third Star Wars: Jedi game, while maintaining its mobile business. BioWare is working on the next Mass Effect. EA Sports, which manages titles like FC and Madden, operates as a separate division from EA Entertainment.