Entire Marvel Rivals Seattle Team Laid Off, Including Director, Months After Successful Launch

screenrant.com:

The entire Seattle 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 to this Bluesky post) that made such a success. With an average of 454,925 players daily, the game couldn't be in a better place, but the director, lead designer, and other key team members have all since been laid off. With little information as to why, fans of the game are upset and confused about losing such integral people behind the game's success.

Since its launch in December 2024, amassed over 10 million players worldwide, making it an instant hit. But despite its widespread success and stand-out gameplay elements,the development team behind the game has now been hit with a mass layoff. In a LinkedIn post shared by game director Thaddeus Sasser, he comments as he touches on the team's mass success and the unexpected lay-offs that have hit them.

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 "" the game had been and the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his team's "". While neither offers many more details about the reasons why,it's certainly taken gamers 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.

is still riding the high of its launch, releasing new characters like The Thing