NetEase Games has laid off Marvel Rivals’ US-based developers despite the game’s success. Read on to learn more about this story and the upcoming update for the second half of Marvel Rivals’ Season 1!
NetEase Strategic Business Shift Affects Studios in North America
Marvel Rivals US-Based Devs Laid Off by NetEase
Thaddeus Sasser, director of Marvel Rivals, posted on his LinkedIn profile on February 19, 2025, that NetEase Games laid him off, along with other California-based developers.
"This is such a weird industry," Sasser wrote. "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games...and were just laid off!"
Despite the bad news, Sasser moved forward with throwing a pitch for his former team members to potential employers on LinkedIn. "Oh well! Times are tough all over - Let's find these incredible people new jobs, because we all need to eat, right?"
He started with Garry McGee, the game’s technical designer. "During the course of the project, Garry was fantastic to work with. This is a highly technical designer - currently working in level design, but I've seen his passion project! - who is a proactive problem solver."
Sasser went on to list McGee’s strong points and highly recommended his skills for other developers. He even added, "If I had a role I'd hire him again instantly."
Considering Sasser’s statement about finding his people new jobs, it seems he’ll be pitching for his team members individually, hoping they could find employment through his endorsement.
NetEase, Despite Its Success, Made Controversial Moves in North America
Marvel Rivals was developed by two development teams based in China and Seattle, USA. Sasser’s team specializes in game and level design, while the devs in China handled the rest of the game’s development. However, Sasser and his team’s critical role in developing the game did not make them immune to the round of layoffs in the game industry, especially for highly successful games.
NetEase did not provide any information about the sudden layoff, but a Bungie employee claimed that the company was starting to pull out of North America. In November 2024, NetEase pulled its financial backing to Worlds Untold studio, led by a former Mass Effect writer. More recently, NetEase also broke its partnership with Jar of Sparks on January 7, 2025, forcing the devs to find a new publishing partner.
Marvel Rivals Second Half of Season 1 Update
New Heroes, Maps, and More!
Marvel Rivals is kicking off the second half of Season 1 with new heroes, maps, balance adjustments, and tournaments, as revealed on its YouTube channel dated February 19, 2025. This update was spearheaded by Marvel Rivals’ creative director, Guangguang, and lead combat designer, Zhiyong.
The update includes the official character reveal of The Thing and Human Torch, completing the Fantastic Four lineup. Meanwhile, Central Park was revealed as the new map for Season 1’s second half, New York’s popular park now made home by Dracula and his imposing castle.
Zhiyong also announced the balance adjustments in the game after the conclusion of Season 1’s first half on February 21, 2025, at 12:00 AM (PDT). One of the notable changes to the game is the triple-strategist lineup. Though Zhiyong praised and acknowledged the current meta lineup, they are shaking the competitive scene by "bumping up the energy cost" for characters with quick ultimate recharge, like Cloak & Dagger and Loki.
Additionally, they are reducing the survivability of some Vanguard characters like Doctor Strange and Magnet while boosting some movement-type Vanguards. On the other hand, Storm, Moon Knight, and other overpowered heroes are being nerfed as Marvel Rivals head over to Season 1’s next half.
One of the planned changes that did not push through the game is the rank reset, dropping all player’s ranks to four divisions. Fans are quite disappointed with this upcoming update, prompting Marvel Rivals devs to backtrack and remove this game mechanic altogether. If you want to know more about this news, you can check out this article!
Sources:
Thaddeus Sasser’s LinkedIn Post
Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 Update
VGC Article: Worlds Untold Studios Paused Operations
VGC Article: Jar of Sparks Studio Looks for News Publishing Partner
