Video game company Electronic Arts (EA) has scrapped its in-development Black Panther video game and closed its developer Cliffhanger Games, as part of another wave of internal restructuring and layoffs.

Cliffhanger, founded in 2023, was established specifically for the Black Panther project. The game had been billed as a single-player, open-world title in partnership with Marvel Games but had not progressed far in development.

The closure marks EA’s third round of layoffs this year alone, following job cuts across Respawn and EA’s Fan Care teams last month.

In a company-wide email, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said the decision was made to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.”

Alongside the Cliffhanger shutdown, EA is laying off additional staff across its mobile and central teams. The company has declined to confirm how many were affected, though reports suggest fewer than the 300 impacted in April.

Despite these cuts, EA continues to hire in other areas, with reports indicating its headcount grew by over 800 employees year-on-year.

EA’s deal with Marvel initially covered three games: Iron Man, the now-cancelled Black Panther, and an unannounced title. Despite today’s news, EA confirmed its partnership with Marvel remains intact.

Going forward, EA looks to concentrate on a tighter portfolio of titles, including Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, Apex Legends, and ongoing projects like the Iron Man game from EA Motive and the third Star Wars: Jedi game. Bioware’s Mass Effect is still in development, and EA’s sports titles remain unaffected.

The news is part of a broader shift in strategy as EA distances itself from licensed IPs that it believes are unlikely to succeed in a rapidly evolving games market.