NetEase Reassures Fans: Marvel Rivals Seattle Team Laid Off

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

Sasser's LinkedIn profile indicates his team contributed significantly to the game's design and development over the past two years. NetEase's statement confirmed the restructuring for "organizational reasons" and "optimized development efficiency," but did not disclose the number of affected employees. The company emphasized respectful treatment of those laid off and assured players that ongoing support for Marvel Rivals would not be impacted. The core development team, based in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering new content and features.

This is the latest in a series of layoffs at NetEase, reflecting a broader retrenchment of overseas investments and studio closures in the U.S. and Japan. Previous closures include Ouka Studios (developer of Visions of Mana), and the pausing of operations for Worlds Untold and the cancellation of Jar of Sparks.