Marvel Rivals Director and Entire Seattle Design Team Laid Off, NetEase Tells Fans Not to Worry About the Game

NetEase, the developer behind the successful mobile game Marvel Rivals, has announced layoffs affecting its Seattle-based design team. Game director Thaddeus Sasser revealed the news on LinkedIn, expressing surprise given the game's recent success. Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play hero shooter, has achieved over 20 million downloads since its December launch and boasts impressive concurrent player numbers on Steam.

Sasser's LinkedIn profile indicates his team played a crucial role in the game's design and development. NetEase confirmed the layoffs in a statement to IGN, citing "organizational reasons" and the need to optimize development efficiency. While the exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed, NetEase emphasized that the layoffs will not affect ongoing support for Marvel Rivals. The game's core development team, based in Guangzhou, China, under Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen, remains fully committed to the game's continued development and expansion, promising new characters, maps, features, and content.

This latest round of layoffs follows a pattern of reduced overseas investment and studio closures at NetEase. Previous closures include Ouka Studios (developer of Visions of Mana) and the halting of operations at Worlds Untold (headed by Mass Effect veteran Mac Walters) and Jar of Sparks (founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook).