In a surprising turn of events, NetEase has laid off the entire Seattle-based design team behind the successful game Marvel Rivals. The announcement was made by Marvel Rivals game director Thaddeus Sasser on LinkedIn, where he expressed his shock and disappointment over the decision. Sasser highlighted the team’s recent success in delivering the new franchise, which has seen over 20 million downloads since its launch in December. The “Marvel Rivals NetEase layoffs” come as a shock to the video game development community, who reacted with a mix of surprise and anger.
NetEase confirmed the layoffs, citing “organizational reasons” and the need to optimize development efficiency for the game. The company emphasized that the layoffs would not impact ongoing support for Marvel Rivals, as the primary development team is based in China. Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen will continue to lead the core development team in Guangzhou, ensuring the game’s evolution and growth.
This is the latest round of layoffs at NetEase, which has been pulling back from several overseas investments and closing studios in the U.S. and Japan. The company has previously cut positions at Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios, Worlds Untold, and Jar of Sparks.
Despite the layoffs, NetEase reassured fans that they are investing more into the game’s future, with plans to introduce new superhero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for players worldwide.