Marvel Rivals, a free-to-play hero shooter developed by NetEase Games, has seen significant success since its launch just weeks ago, with over 20 million players and regular concurrent players of over 250K on Steam. However, the game’s development team in Seattle, US, has been hit with layoffs despite their efforts.
Game director Thaddeus Sasser revealed the news in a LinkedIn post, stating that his “stellar, talented team” helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise for NetEase Games. He expressed surprise at the company’s decision to lay off his team, calling it a “weird industry.”
Other developers working on Marvel Rivals, including Jack Burrows and Garry McGee, also confirmed they were laid off in separate posts. The layoffs follow recent job losses at other NetEase studios, including Worlds Untold and Jar of Sparks.
The trend is part of a larger devastating few years for the games industry, which has seen over 25,000 employees lose their jobs since 2023. This year alone has already recorded 900 additional layoffs across multiple studios, affecting workers from companies such as Unity, HiRez Studios, Sumo Digital, Ubisoft, Splash Damage, and Midnight Society.
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/marvel-rivals-team-hit-by-layoffs-despite-major-launch-success