Marvel Rivals layoffs spark backlash despite 20 million players
Marvel Rivals, the multiplayer shooter developed by NetEase Games, has reportedly laid off several employees from its U.S. team, despite the game's massive success since its launch in December 2024.
Multiple former employees took to LinkedIn to share the news of their layoffs, raising questions about the studio's decision.
Level designer Jack Burrows announced his dismissal, writing, 'Welp, just got laid off from my job working on Marvel Rivals with NetEase.' Similarly, Thaddeus Sasser, a game director at NetEase, expressed frustration, stating, 'My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games... and were just laid off!'
NetEase has yet to release an official statement regarding the layoffs or provide details on their scope and reasoning.
The news has sparked significant backlash among players, many of whom took to Steam reviews to express disappointment. Of the approximately 1,000 reviews posted today, over 300 have been negative, with many users criticizing NetEase for dismissing key developers despite the game's record-breaking numbers.
Marvel Rivals, which quickly amassed 20 million players within its first month, has stood out in an increasingly competitive live-service gaming market, alongside Palworld and Helldivers 2. It ranks in the top five games based on weekly active users across Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam, currently sitting at number three on Steam's most-played games chart.
Despite its evident success, the layoffs highlight the volatility of the gaming industry, with Sasser summing up the situation on LinkedIn: 'This is such a weird industry…'
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