The entireMarvel RivalsSeattle team has just been laid off, including the director and lead designer, taking fans by surprise. Since its launch just a few months ago,this hit new entry into the hero shooter genre has been a huge success.By implementing the Marvel characters into a unique world with team-up abilities, 6v6 combat, and more, players can connect more than ever to the characters they love and enjoy thrilling gameplay to match.
Coming off the heels of the immense popularity of its launch, it’s a surprise to see that NetEasehas now laid off the team, according toResertErauserBWoogwho shared a screenshot of LinkedIn to the platform.The screenshot appears to show Thaddeus Sasser, director ofMarvel Rivals, announcing the layoffs of their “stellar, talented team.“This post was later shared to Bluesky byWario64. The LinkedIn post reads:
“This is such a weird industry…my stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Game…and we were just laid off!”
The screenshot then appears to show Sasser spotlighting various team members in the hopes of finding them a new role.
NetEase Has Laid Off The Entire Seattle Development Team
Marvel Rivals Lose Key Team Members At A Crucial Time
Since its launch in December 2024,Marvel Rivals has quicklyamassed over 10 million playersworldwide, making it an instant hit. With an average of 454,925 players daily, the game couldn’t be in a better place, butthe director, lead designer, and other key team members have all since been laid off, according to the post.With little information as to why, fans of the game are upset and confused about losing such integral people behind the game’s success.
Marvel Rivals Developers “Focused On Capturing Iconic Moments” To Create The Perfect Hero Roster To Live Up To High Expectations
The NetEase Team behind Marvel Rivals knew the hero shooter had to live up to a certain prestige, conducting extensive research to succeed with fans
The game’s lead designer,Jack Burrows, also shared his own post, noting how big of a “success” the game had been and the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his team’s “sad culling”. While neither offers many more details about the reasons why,it’s certainly taken players by surprise after the giant popularity the game has seen.With such an incredible team behind the project, it’s unfortunate to lose them just a few months into the game’s life cycle.
These Layoffs Come As A Bit Of A Shock After Marvel Rivals' Success
Could This Be The Potential Downfall Of Marvel Rivals?
Marvel Rivalsis still riding the high of its launch, releasingnew characters like The Thingand The Human Torch with mass player popularity. But with that in mind,it seems bizarre that the NetEase team would want to lose such crucial people just a few months after the game’s launch, leaving a few players to theorize. One Bluesky user,LotusPrince, commented that “The corporation doesn’t need them to make the game anymore because it’s already been made”, and it could well be assumed that the team has been cut to save money early on.
This isn’t the only controversial choice the team has made recently either, announcing thatplayer ranks will now reset halfway through each season. WhileMarvel Rivalsdefinitely remains a big hit as a hero-shooter,the players might not be on board with everything NetEase has been doing as of late.Losing this incredible team and their post-launch support might just be the beginning of a downward spiral for this beloved title.
