Marvel Rivals Director, Seattle Team Laid Off; NetEase Assures Game's Future

NetEase, the developer behind the hit game Marvel Rivals, has confirmed significant layoffs within its Seattle-based design team, citing "organizational reasons." The announcement came overnight from game director Thaddeus Sasser via LinkedIn, where he shared the unexpected news of his team's dismissal.

"This is such a weird industry," Sasser remarked, highlighting the irony of his team's situation. "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games... and were just laid off! Oh well! Times are tough all over - Let's find these incredible people new jobs, because we all need to eat, right? :D"

The gaming community has responded with a mix of shock and frustration, especially given Marvel Rivals' remarkable success. Since its launch in December, the free-to-play hero shooter has amassed over 20 million downloads and achieved impressive peak concurrent player numbers on Steam.

According to Sasser's LinkedIn profile, his team was instrumental in game and level design, providing "guidance, strategy, and design direction over the last couple of years" for Marvel Rivals.

In a statement to IGN, NetEase confirmed the layoffs but did not disclose the number of affected employees. "We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game," the company stated. "This resulted in a reduction of a design team based in Seattle that is part of a larger global design function in support of Marvel Rivals. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of those affected and will be treating them confidentially and respectfully with recognition for their individual contributions."

Despite the layoffs, NetEase emphasized that the cuts will not impact the ongoing support for Marvel Rivals. The primary development team, led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen, remains based in Guangzhou, China, and is fully committed to the game's future.

"We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals... remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience," NetEase assured. "We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. We’re excited to deliver new super hero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for our worldwide player base."

This latest round of layoffs at NetEase is part of a broader pullback from overseas investments. The company has previously closed studios in the U.S. and Japan, including Ouka Studios, the developer behind Visions of Mana. In November, Worlds Untold, led by Mass Effect alumnus Mac Walters, announced a pause in operations following a split with NetEase. Additionally, in January, NetEase cut ties with Jar of Sparks, founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook in 2022.