NetEase, developer of the successful mobile game Marvel Rivals, has announced layoffs affecting its Seattle-based design team. Game director Thaddeus Sasser revealed the news 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 team, responsible for game and level design, was let go due to what NetEase described as "organizational reasons" aimed at optimizing development efficiency.
While NetEase confirmed the layoffs in a statement to IGN, the exact number of affected employees remains undisclosed. The company emphasized that the layoffs will not affect ongoing support for Marvel Rivals, with the core development team in Guangzhou, China, remaining fully committed to delivering new content and features. This includes plans for new superhero characters, maps, and game updates.
This latest round of layoffs follows a pattern of NetEase scaling back on overseas investments and studio closures in the U.S. and Japan. Previous examples include the closure of Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios, the operational pause of Worlds Untold following a split with NetEase, and the cancellation of Jar of Sparks.
