NetEase Lays Off Marvel Rivals Director, Seattle Team

NetEase, the developer of Marvel Rivals, has confirmed it reduced the size of its Seattle-based design team, citing organizational restructuring.

Marvel Rivals Game Director Thaddeus Sasser recently announced on LinkedIn that he and his team were let go.

"This industry can be so unpredictable," Sasser wrote. "My outstanding and gifted team just helped launch a highly successful new franchise with Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games...

...and now we've all been laid off!

But it's a difficult period for everyone—let's help these amazing professionals find new roles. We all have bills to pay, right? :D"

The gaming community reacted with a blend of surprise and frustration to the news, especially given the massive success of Marvel Rivals. Since its release in December, the free-to-play hero shooter has surpassed 20 million downloads and achieved impressive concurrent player records on Steam.

Sasser’s LinkedIn profile indicates that his group was responsible for game and level design on Marvel Rivals, providing "guidance, strategy, and creative oversight over the past few years."

NetEase provided IGN with a statement confirming the staff reductions, though it didn’t specify the number of people affected.

"We recently made the tough choice to restructure the Marvel Rivals development team for organizational efficiency and to enhance the game’s development process," the company said.

"This decision led to a reduction in a Seattle-based design team, which is part of a broader global design effort supporting Marvel Rivals. We are grateful for the commitment and effort of everyone impacted and are handling their departure with confidentiality, respect, and recognition of their individual input."

NetEase was quick to clarify that the layoffs will not affect ongoing support for Marvel Rivals, as the primary development team is based in China.

"We want to assure our players that the core development team, under the leadership of Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, remains fully dedicated to delivering an outstanding game experience,” NetEase continued.

"We are increasing, not decreasing, our investment in the evolution and expansion of this title. We look forward to introducing new superheroes, maps, features, and content to keep our global player base engaged."

This marks the latest in a series of layoffs at NetEase, which has scaled back several overseas investments and closed studios in the U.S. and Japan—including Ouka Studios, developer of Visions of Mana. In November, Worlds Untold—led by former Mass Effect veteran Mac Walters—announced it was pausing operations after parting ways with publisher NetEase. In January, the company also cut staff at Jar of Sparks, a studio founded in 2022 by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook.