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

NetEase, the developer behind the hit game Marvel Rivals, has recently announced layoffs affecting its Seattle-based design team, attributing the decision to "organizational reasons." The news broke overnight when game director Thaddeus Sasser shared on LinkedIn that he and his team were let go.

Expressing his disbelief, Sasser remarked, "This is such a weird industry. 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" His post has sparked a wave of shock and anger within the video game development community, especially given the game's remarkable performance. Since its launch in December, Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play hero shooter, has garnered over 20 million downloads and seen significant concurrent player peaks on Steam.

Sasser's LinkedIn profile highlights that his team was instrumental in game and level design, providing crucial guidance, strategy, and direction for Marvel Rivals over the past few years.

In response to inquiries from IGN, NetEase confirmed the layoffs but did not disclose the number of affected employees. The company stated, "We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game. 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 cuts, NetEase emphasized that the layoffs will not hinder the ongoing support for Marvel Rivals. The primary development team, led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, China, remains dedicated to enhancing the game. NetEase assured fans, "We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals...remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience. We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. We’re excited to deliver new superhero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for our worldwide player base."

This move marks another round of layoffs at NetEase, which has been scaling back its overseas investments and closing studios in the U.S. and Japan. Notable among these closures are Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios, Worlds Untold led by Mass Effect alum Mac Walters, and Jar of Sparks, founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook.