Home 
Navigation
NetEase, the developer behind the successful mobile game Marvel Rivals, has confirmed layoffs affecting its Seattle-based design team. The cuts, attributed to “organizational reasons” and the need to optimize development efficiency, were announced by game director Thaddeus Sasser on LinkedIn. Sasser and his team, responsible for game and level design, were let go despite the game's considerable success, boasting over 20 million downloads since its December launch and high concurrent player numbers on Steam.
The gaming community reacted with surprise and criticism given Marvel Rivals’ popularity. NetEase's statement acknowledged the layoffs, expressing appreciation for the departing team's contributions but offered no specific numbers. The company emphasized that ongoing support for Marvel Rivals would not be affected, as the primary development team remains in Guangzhou, China, under Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen. NetEase reiterated its commitment to expanding the game with new content, characters, and features.
This latest round of layoffs follows NetEase’s withdrawal from several overseas projects and the closure of studios in the U.S. and Japan, including Ouka Studios (developer of Visions of Mana). Previous cutbacks also included the pausing of operations for Worlds Untold and the cancellation of Jar of Sparks.
Latest Articles
Latest Games
