NETEASE RELEASES STATEMENT ON WESTERN MARVEL RIVALS TEAM LAYOFFS

News broke that one of the Western teams working on Marvel Rivals for NetEase suffered significant layoffs, surprising both the industry and players. The game itself has been a massive success in its first few months, reportedly earning $135 million and amassing over 20 million players across various platforms. This remarkable performance left many baffled by the news of restructuring.

We reached out to NetEase for clarification on the layoffs. Below is their official statement in full:

*“We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game. 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. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of those affected and will be treating them confidentially and respectfully with recognition for their individual contributions.

We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals, which continues to be led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience. We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. We’re excited to deliver new superhero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for our worldwide player base.”*

Major Layoffs Amid Continued Growth Plans

This official response underlines that NetEase aims to maintain and even increase its support for Marvel Rivals, despite letting go of some developers in Seattle. According to the company, the core team—led by producer Weicong Wu and creative director Guangyun Chen—continues to work in Guangzhou and remains focused on bringing new content to a player base that shows strong ongoing engagement. NetEase insists that the layoffs are part of an effort to streamline development processes and ensure efficient management of the game’s live service needs.

Upcoming Patch: Season 1.5 – Eternal Night Falls

Ironically, mere hours before the layoffs were revealed, NetEase had shared a press release detailing the next major update for Marvel Rivals. Titled Season 1.5: Eternal Night Falls, the patch is set to launch February 21, introducing fresh content and improvements:

• New Heroes:

  • The Thing (Vanguard): Ben Grimm enters the fray, combining tank-like resilience with his piloting expertise.

  • Human Torch (Duelist): Johnny Storm offers fiery crowd control, scorching enemies, and scouring the city for valuable resources.

• Redemption System:

  • A feature that allows players to convert excess Chrono Tokens into Units, enhancing resource management.

• New Map:

  • “Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park” will join the game’s roster of battlegrounds, complementing the ongoing storyline of an ominous darkness shrouding the city.

• Competitive Upgrades:

  • Continued refinements to competitive and tournament modes.

  • Insights into future gameplay expansions for Marvel Rivals’ ongoing live service model.

Expanded Roster with The Thing and Human Torch

In Season 1.5, players will see the addition of two iconic Fantastic Four members:

• Human Torch:

  • Classified as a Duelist, offering high-impact attack strategies with literal firepower.

  • Capable of blinding or burning opponents, while also collecting resources to aid his team.

• The Thing:

  • A Vanguard hero known for his rugged resilience and unwavering dedication to protect New York City from the looming eternal night.

  • Offers robust defensive maneuvers while still supporting the team’s objective-driven gameplay.

Tournament Updates and Future Competitions

NetEase also announced that the Marvel Rivals Championship (MRC) recently maxed out its Faction registrations in North America. Looking ahead, the Season 1.5 update will increase that registration limit, offering more players a chance to participate. Furthermore, a new series of Marvel Rivals Invitationals (MRI) is set to begin at the end of February and continue into March, acting as a stepping stone toward the next major championship event.

Despite the news of layoffs, NetEase is positioning itself to invest more into Marvel Rivals. The company maintains that the Seattle-based layoffs were an “organizational” decision rather than a reduction in the overall commitment to the game.

What do you think of NetEase’s decision to restructure the Marvel Rivals dev team while continuing to expand game content? Does this change your outlook on the future of Marvel Rivals? Share your thoughts below!