Marvel Rivals Seattle Team Axed, NetEase Reassures

NetEase, the developer behind the successful mobile game Marvel Rivals, has announced layoffs affecting its Seattle-based design team. The cuts, attributed to "organizational reasons" and efficiency optimization, were announced by game director Thaddeus Sasser on LinkedIn, who confirmed his own dismissal along with his team's.

This news has been met with surprise and criticism within the gaming community, considering Marvel Rivals' significant success since its December launch. The free-to-play game boasts over 20 million downloads and impressive concurrent player numbers on Steam. Sasser's LinkedIn profile highlights his team's crucial role in game and level design for the title.

While NetEase confirmed the layoffs in a statement to IGN, the exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed. The company emphasized that the restructuring is intended to streamline development and that it will not impact ongoing support for the game. NetEase reassured players that the core development team, based in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering new content, including characters, maps, and features.

These layoffs represent the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures by NetEase, which has reduced its overseas investments and shuttered several studios in the U.S. and Japan. Previous closures include Ouka Studios (Visions of Mana) and the halting of operations for Worlds Untold and Jar of Sparks.