NetEase Games has unexpectedly laid off its Seattle-based Marvel Rivals development team — just as the game keeps gaining momentum. The news broke when game director Thaddeus Sasser took to LinkedIn, revealing that his ‘stellar, talented team’ had been let go. “This is such a weird industry,” Sasser noted. NetEase has not publicly explained why the team was disbanded or if other locations were impacted.
According to Sasser’s LinkedIn page, he worked on Marvel Rivals for two years as a design director since January 2023 at NetEase’s internal Seattle studio. He also had much experience as a designer, working on Agents of Mayhem, Amazon’s canceled battle royale game, and as a creative director on Battlefield. Unsurprisingly his development team on Marvel Rivals specialized in ‘game and level design.’
Interestingly, just a month ago, another Seattle-based studio of NetEase’s, Jar of Sparks, halted work to look for a ‘new publishing partner.’ In late 2024, the upcoming Worlds Untold made by Mass Effect lead in partnership with NetEase, also paused its development.
Marvel Rivals has been one of NetEase’s most talked-about games globally, as it offers a fresh take on hero shooters with superhero icons. It quickly climbed Steam’s top 10 chart with 215 thousand active players and reports claimed it made 1 billion Won, or $136 million. It recently revealed new additions to the game’s roster, The Thing and Johnny Storm of the Fantastic Four fame.
Despite this, the part of its development team responsible for shaping Marvel Rivals is now laid off. Sasser didn’t dwell on the loss, though. Instead, he focused on helping his former teammates find new opportunities. “Oh well! Times are tough all over,” he wrote. “Let’s find these incredible people new jobs, because we all need to eat, right? :D”
It remains to be seen if the layoffs of its Seattle-based designers will impact future content. For now, the situation serves as yet another reminder of the instability plaguing the industry — even when success seems guaranteed.
