NetEase Games undergoes Marvel Rivals layoffs

NetEase Games has confirmed the layoffs of Marvel Rivals developers based in North America.

The Chinese game developer and publisher says the decision to lay off staff is to ‘adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organisational reasons.’

The news was first shared by former NetEase game director Thaddeus Sasser in a LinkedIn post.

In a statement to PC Gamer shortly afterward, the developer and publisher confirmed the layoffs of Marvel Rivals developers based in its Seattle studio.

“We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organisational reasons and to optimise development efficiency for the game,” said a NetEase representative. “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.”

The company then thanked the impacted employees for their hard work. NetEasedid not disclose the total number of employees now looking for work but confirmed that no developers based in Seattle are working on Marvel Rivals.

Since its launch on December 6th, 2024, Marvel Rivals has become one of the most popular hero shooters in the world. In the last three months, the game has surpassed over 20 million downloads across PC and consoles.

NetEase isn’t the only game developer that has laid off staff in 2025. In February, Hi-Rez Studios, the creators of Smite, Paladins, and Rogue Company, underwent significant layoffs that impacted its esports projects.

For Marvel Rivals, the restructuring of NetEase Games staff hasn’t impacted its esports plans. The inaugural edition of the Marvel Rivals Championship is set to take place from March 8th, 2025 until April 6th, 2025.

Titled Eternal Night Falls, the competitive circuit is divided into four regions where PC and console players can compete for a share of a $14,500 (~£11,600) prize pool.