NetEase Games’ Marvel Rivals received tons of new details for Season 1.5, including gameplay of Human Torch and The Thing. However, they were marred by news that the US-based branch of the development team had been laid off.
These were notable considering the title’s success, with over 20 million players in its first weeks. However, a NetEase representative told Game File’s Stephen Totilo that this was to “optimize development efficiency for the game.”
“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 contributions.”
However, it also reassured fans, “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.” It’s also “investing more, not less” into the game with new characters, features, content, maps, and more to come.
Whether the layoffs occurred because the Seattle-based team were only necessary for the initial launch and slate of content is unknown. Regardless, with the title set to receive eight heroes per year on average, host various Invitational tournaments for esports, and more (though PvE is not on the menu), it’s clear that NetEase is only getting started.
Stay tuned for more updates on Marvel Rivals in the meantime. It’s available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, with Season 1.5 starting on February 21st.
