Digital Arts has canceled its in-development Black Panther recreation and shut down Cliffhanger Video games, marking its third spherical of layoffs this yr. IGN reviews: In an electronic mail despatched to employees from EA Leisure president Laura Miele, Miele stated that these modifications, alongside different latest cancellations and layoffs, are being executed to “sharpen our focus and put our artistic vitality behind essentially the most important development alternatives.” Along with closing Cliffhanger and canceling Black Panther, EA can be shedding some people on each its cellular and central groups. […] As with previous rounds of layoffs, EA is endeavoring to position affected people in different roles throughout the corporate. […]
To that finish, Miele’s electronic mail continues, the corporate is specializing in a small handful of franchises going ahead: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. Miele additionally reassures EA will proceed to put money into its Iron Man recreation at Motive and the third Star Wars: Jedi recreation, in addition to it preserve its cellular enterprise regardless of at this time’s cuts, whereas Bioware works on the following Mass Impact. Moreover, final yr, CEO Andrew Wilson introduced the corporate can be “transferring away from growth of future licensed IP that we don’t consider will likely be profitable in our altering trade.” The e-mail would not point out EA Sports activities, however this is because of Miele working EA Leisure, whereas EA Sports activities is a separate division. IGN understands that the sports activities division is unaffected by these modifications for now.
Notably, Marvel and EA’s settlement for Black Panther was a part of a three-game deal that included Iron Man and a 3rd, unannounced title. IGN understands this partnership will proceed, with Motive Studios main future Marvel titles. EA supplied the next assertion concerning the cope with Marvel to IGN, attributed to Miele: “Our partnership with Marvel stays robust and our multi-title, long-term collaboration continues.”