NetEase
Farewell to the developers of Marvel Rivals: NetEase sacks several key team members
The North American branch of Marvel Rivals has been laid off, according to an announcement on LinkedIn. However, the real situation is a bit more complex.
These are dark times for the video game industry. Not only have the last few years seen a record number of layoffs, but cases like Marvel Rivals show that even if developers create a financially successful video game, it does not guarantee the continuity of their jobs. This is exactly what has happened to key personnel at Marvel’s acclaimed first-person shooter, who have stunningly announced their immediate dismissal on their respective profiles on LinkedIn, the social network focused on job search and networking.
NetEase lays off key Marvel Rivals staff despite game’s success
The team at NetEase Seattle that worked on Marvel Rivals has been completely laid off, including director Thaddeus Sasser. The news has come as a surprise, as the hero shooter continues to be a hit on Steam and consoles after its launch. However, the situation is more complex than Sasser suggested on his social media accounts: the six-person Seattle team was mainly focused on localization, testing, and most importantly, training for NetEase’s core development team in China. With the game already released and its staff in China trained, the company seems to have felt that the presence of American developers was no longer necessary.
Sasser himself expressed his confusion on LinkedIn, where he wrote: “My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games… and were just laid off!” On this social network, he defines himself as a “I help create billion-dollar franchises”, although it is true that the credited director of Marvel Rivals is Guangyun Chen, better known by his pseudonym Guangguang. This conflicting information calls his version into question. Other team members, such as level designer Jack Burrows, expressed similar sentiments, complaining that even the game’s success did not allow them to keep their jobs.
Although NetEase has not officially commented on the decision, the opacity of the company’s structure has made it difficult to determine the exact extent of the layoffs. What is clear is that the Seattle team played a key role in the formation of the Chinese team, suggesting that their departure may have been planned all along. While Marvel Rivals remains at the top of the charts, the developers who lost their jobs are now looking for new opportunities in the industry.
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