Marvel Rivals is one of the hottest games right now. Players have been flocking to the multiplayer game centered around their favorite superheroes. The game has been a commercial success so far, with no signs of stopping. Because of its popularity, fans were shocked to hear the recent news coming from NetEase, the game’s developer. The studio announced they are laying off some of their employees that got the game to where it is today leaving fans with many questions.
Marvel Rivals Lays-Off Employees
Many studios have been hit with lay-offs in the last few weeks. Some of those studios made sense to the general public. Ubisoft had a rough financial year and has had to consolidate. Indie game studios like Toast Interactive have had to shutter their offices due to financial issues. A game like Marvel Rivals should be generating enough revenue to sustain a staff, right? That isn’t the case. Game director Thaddeus Sasser revealed on LinkedIn that his US-based team has been laid off. Sasser was as puzzled as the rest of us which he expressed in the post.
“This is such a weird industry…
My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games…
…and were just laid off!”
It is certainly a weird industry. It seems that no one is safe from lay-offs at this point. Crytek, 10:10 Games, Bandai Namco, Rocksteady, Ubisoft, and Iron Galaxy have all announced lay-offs in the past month. Overall, it seems like the video game industry is going through some staffing and finance issues. However, with a game like Marvel Rivals, controversy is starting to creep in.
Fans Left Scratching Their Heads
NetEase has made no official statement about why the lay-offs occurred. For an indie studio, lay-offs often make sense. It is expensive to make a game, and even when a studio has a success story, it often isn’t enough to sustain a bloated staff. This isn’t the case for Marvel Rivals. In just two months, it has become one of the most popular games, generating a huge amount of revenue for the developer. In an age where people care about those who made the game, it isn’t a great look.
The concern for many players is the longevity of the game. We’ve seen many studios promise longevity in support for certain games, only to stop support in a year or less. Players are more willing to spend money on a game if they believe it will be around for a long time. If the studio is already cutting staff, is the game’s life span at risk? The fact NetEase has not made a statement is concerning. Given the popularity of the game, they do owe an explanation as to why people lost their jobs after making such a successful game. To be clear, they might have a good reason! However, when they offer nothing, we are left to speculate.
Final Thoughts
There has been plenty of awesome news coming out for Marvel Rivals. The first gameplay of the Human Torch has been released, and The Thing is also a recent addition. Balance changes have been implemented, making the game better for the players. The lay-offs are concerning, and the hope is it does not prevent NetEase from supporting the game and keeping it going for a long time.
