Following EA’s decision to pull the plug on its Black Panther game and close the studio making it, the publisher has insisted the move doesn’t reflect a change to its partnership with Marvel, and that it still has three additional Marvel games in development.
Few details of EA’s Black Panther game had been shared since its announcement in 2023, but word of its cancellation – and yet more layoffs at the company – arrived earlier this week. Commenting on the decision to end its development in an email to employees, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said the move would help the publisher “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities”.
Miele also stressed developer EA Motive’s Iron Man game was unaffected, but Black Panther’s cancellation – which comes as the publisher continues a planned retreat away from “future licensed IP” – had some commentators wondering if the company’s previously announced three-game deal with Marvel could be wrapping up prematurely.
Now, however, EA has confirmed to IGN that not only is the deal alive and well, the company is still working on “at least three” Marvel games following Black Panther’s termination. “The multi-title, long-term relationship between Marvel Games and EA… remains strong,” an EA spokesperson told the publication. “Development of our console and PC titles, beginning with Marvel’s Iron Man, is led by Motive Studios.”
Black Panther’s cancellation and subsequent job cuts follow a string of similar incidents at EA this year. In April, the company laid off more than 300 employees, with Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi studio Respawn Entertainment losing around 100 staff. At the same time, EA cancelled a number of in-development projects – reportedly including a new Titanfall game – as part of what it called a “continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities”. Still more layoffs were confirmed last month, following EA’s decision to end its licensing partnership with the WRC.
A second Black Panther project unconnected with EA – Skydance Games’ Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, from Uncharted writer Amy Hennig – was recently delayed into next year.