NetEase has responded to the reported layoffs for their Marvel Rivals team, despite the free-to-play shooter garnering massive success. Read on to find out what they had to say.
NetEase Speaks On Marvel Rivals’ Team Layoffs
"Optimizing Development Efficiency"
As reported by Eurogamer, Marvel Rivals’ publisher NetEase has broken the silence on the sudden layoffs, saying that it was a "difficult decision made to optimise development efficiency."
"This resulted in a reduction of a design team based in Seattle that is part of a larger global design function in support of Marvel Rivals. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of those affected and will be treating them confidentially and respectfully with recognition for their individual contributions," said a NetEase spokesperson to Eurogamer, adding that the core development team from China "remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience" for players, and that the company is investing into the evolution and overall growth of the game.
The news was first announced by Marvel Rivals’ game director Thaddeus Sasser on his LinkedIn, who wrote that "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games…and were just laid off!" Level designer Jack Burrows followed suit with his own post on the platform, confirming the layoffs and saying that "Was an enormous pleasure to work with my American coworkers who join me in this sad culling. Just couldn’t dodge that big boot I guess, no matter how big the success of the gig."
All of the affected employees were from the Seattle-based development team. Sasser is now committed to spreading the word about him and his team through LinkedIn posts, who are currently looking for positions to fill.
NetEase’s History With Overseas Studios
The news may come as a shock considering how successful Marvel Rivals is in its genre that has seen its share of games that never really took off—the superhero-themed arena shooter stands out with its immense accomplishment. However, NetEase appears to be following a trend with its partnerships with overseas studios. Several NetEase-backed studios have either been laid off, announced a pause in its operations, or have ended agreements with the Chinese gaming conglomerate.
For instance, Mass Effect writer-led studio Worlds Untold put a pause in its operations, citing that they are searching for a new partner to bring their action-adventure game to life. This is also the case with Jar of Sparks, a studio helmed by Halo Infinite design head Jerry Hook, who is reportedly looking to "find all of our team new homes."
However, the pattern only seems to closely follow internationally-based studios as China-based studios such as Tides of Annihilation’s Eclipse Glow Games and Black Myth: Wukong’s Game Science seem to have operations going smoothly. With that said, the cultural differences and language barrier may pose an obstacle to facilitate better communication.
Source:
Thaddeus Sasser LinkedIn Post
