Marvel Rivals Layoffs

Despite the remarkable success of "Marvel Rivals," NetEase Games has laid off several members of its U.S.-based development team. The game, launched in December 2024, quickly amassed a substantial player base, boasting over 20 million players within weeks and maintaining approximately 200,000 concurrent players on Steam. 

The layoffs were publicly acknowledged by game director Thaddeus Sasser, who expressed his surprise on LinkedIn: "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games... and were just laid off!" 

NetEase has confirmed the reduction of its Seattle-based design team but has not disclosed the exact number of employees affected. The company stated that the decision was made to "optimize development efficiency" and reassured players that the core development team in Guangzhou, China, led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen, remains committed to the game's ongoing development. 

This move has sparked confusion and disappointment among both the development community and players, especially given the game's commercial success. Many players have voiced their dissatisfaction through negative reviews on platforms like Steam, criticizing the decision to lay off key team members responsible for the game's success. 

The gaming industry has seen similar instances where successful projects undergo unexpected team reductions, highlighting the volatile nature of game development and corporate decision-making.