NetEase confirmed a reduction of a Seattle-based design team that supported Marvel Rivals—not a layoff of the entire game team. The company cited organizational reasons and a goal of improving development efficiency. It did not disclose how many people were affected.
Which Marvel Rivals developers were laid off?
In a statement published by GameSpot on February 19, 2025, NetEase described the change as “a reduction of a design team based in Seattle that is part of a larger global design function in support of Marvel Rivals.” PC Gamer reported the day before that NetEase confirmed the Seattle-based design team had been reduced and that there were no longer Seattle-based developers working on the game.
Game director Thaddeus Sasser also wrote publicly that his team had been laid off, according to PC Gamer. His account identifies a team affected by the cuts; it does not establish the total number of workers involved.
Why did NetEase reduce the team?
NetEase said it made the “difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game,” as quoted by GameSpot. That is the company’s stated rationale; the cited reports do not give further detail about the internal decision or its expected effect on development.
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How many people were affected?
No confirmed headcount is available in the cited reports. PC Gamer said NetEase did not disclose how many employees were put out of work. Claims giving a precise number should not be treated as established by these sources.
Was the whole Marvel Rivals team laid off?
No. The reporting concerned the Seattle-based design team, part of a larger global design function—not the full development team. NetEase said the core development team remained in Guangzhou, led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen, and was committed to delivering the game. That is NetEase’s assurance, not a guarantee of future staffing, quality, or release schedules.
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Marvel Rivals was announced by NetEase Games and Marvel Games in March 2024 as a team-based PvP shooter with continuing post-launch updates. The announcement describes the planned game, but does not change the scope of the 2025 staffing report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Marvel Rivals still being developed?
Yes. The official Season 10.5 patch notes, published October 6, 2026, scheduled the update to begin October 9, 2026 at 09:00 UTC. This confirms that official updates continued after the 2025 report; it does not show what effect the staff reduction had on individual workers or the development process.
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Sources
- PC Gamer, February 18, 2025: NetEase confirmation, the undisclosed headcount, and Sasser’s account.
- GameSpot, February 19, 2025: NetEase’s quoted explanation and description of the Seattle team reduction and Guangzhou core team.
- Marvel Rivals official site, October 6, 2026: Season 10.5 patch notes and scheduled update time.
- NetEase Games and Marvel Games, March 27, 2024: joint game announcement.
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