Marvel Rivals Director and Seattle Team Laid Off; NetEase Reassures Fans

NetEase Games recently confirmed significant layoffs affecting the Seattle design team behind the successful title Marvel Rivals. Game director Thaddeus Sasser announced his and his team’s departure on LinkedIn, expressing surprise given the game's success with over 20 million downloads since its launch in December. Although the cuts were made for organizational reasons to optimize development, NetEase reassured fans that the core development team in China remains intact and focused on delivering new content and features for Marvel Rivals. This decision follows a trend of layoffs at NetEase, which has been scaling back operations in various international studios.

The development team for Marvel Rivals at NetEase experienced layoffs despite the game’s success, with key figures like game director Thaddeus Sasser confirming the cuts on social media. However, NetEase has stated that the core development team in China is dedicated to continuing support and expansion for the game.

Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play hero shooter that has captivated players with its engaging gameplay and vibrant characters. Since its release, it has not only garnered millions of downloads but also achieved high player engagement metrics on platforms like Steam. This game’s success illustrates the potential of the hero shooter genre, blending elements from both competitive and cooperative play while incorporating popular Marvel superheroes, making it a thrilling experience for fans and gamers alike.