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. 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.

The news has sparked considerable surprise and criticism within the gaming community, given Marvel Rivals' impressive performance. The free-to-play title boasts over 20 million downloads since its December launch and significant concurrent player numbers on Steam. Sasser's LinkedIn profile highlights his team's crucial role in the game's design and development over the past two years.

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 will not affect ongoing support for Marvel Rivals. NetEase reassured players that the core development team, based in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to the game's future, promising continued updates with new characters, maps, features, and content.

This latest round of layoffs follows a pattern of reduced overseas investment and studio closures by NetEase. Previous actions include the shuttering of U.S. and Japan-based studios, such as Ouka Studios (Visions of Mana), and the suspension of Worlds Untold and cancellation of Jar of Sparks.