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

NetEase, the developer behind the successful free-to-play hero shooter Marvel Rivals, has confirmed layoffs within its Seattle-based design team, citing "organizational reasons." Game Director Thaddeus Sasser shared the news on LinkedIn, expressing both his surprise and support for his team amidst the sudden changes.

"This is such a weird industry," Sasser remarked. "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 news has sparked a mix of shock and anger within the video game development community, especially considering the game's remarkable success. Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals has amassed over 20 million downloads and achieved significant peak concurrent player numbers on Steam.

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

NetEase issued a statement to IGN, confirming the layoffs but not disclosing the exact 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 statement read. "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 ongoing support for Marvel Rivals will not be affected, as the primary development team remains in China. "We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals, which continues to be led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience," NetEase stated.

The company also highlighted its commitment to the game's future, saying, "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 follows a pattern of pulling back from overseas investments and closing studios in the U.S. and Japan. Notable examples include the closure of Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios, a pause in operations at Worlds Untold led by Mass Effect alumni Mac Walters after a split with NetEase, and the shutdown of Jar of Sparks, founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook in 2022.