Worth noting this round of layoffs only impacts the team in the US, not the core dev team in China. It’s part of a broader reconsideration of NetEase’s overseas investments and studios. The firm has pulled funding from a number of overseas teams over the past year. - ThreadSky

zhugeex.com • 130 days ago

Worth noting this round of layoffs only impacts the team in the US, not the core dev team in China.

It’s part of a broader reconsideration of NetEase’s overseas investments and studios. The firm has pulled funding from a number of overseas teams over the past year.

Reposted from Wario64

Marvel Rivals director and team laid off according to posts www.resetera.com/threads/marv...

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nerdgeekman.bsky.social•130 days ago

Ok, I know the world is mad at us rn, but come on.

themasterfulemerld.bsky.social•130 days ago

therealyahya.bsky.social•130 days ago

The real issue here is the message it sends to the industry

& Im not talking about the devs, they been getting these messages for years

Im talking about the execs who will take notes on how that happened & plan it on their end

gavaroc.bsky.social•130 days ago

The ongoing description of Thaddeus Sasser as 'Director' has been very confusing the last few months, I will say. I only JUST saw a flat out statement saying that while his title was Director, he was not ever the leading Game Director of Rivals (that's Guangguang)

gavaroc.bsky.social•130 days ago

Super duper distracting and damaging to have this confusion up in the air in the middle of the story; got more than a few people thinking NetEase just fired the game's central leadership 😩

joserbala.dev•129 days ago

It's time for people to learn that there can be several directors in a game this big.

vaeltisnyght.bsky.social•130 days ago

With the current political landscape between the Chinese and US government, this isn't too surprising.

captainmatthew.bsky.social•130 days ago

While still scummy, that makes more sense than "Netease cooks golden goose after like 2 eggs"

noahfuelgaming.bsky.social•130 days ago

It STILL is Kinda bullshit to lay off some of your team members after they made/released one of the only few successful Live Service games over the last Five or so years

then again, NeteEase closed the Visions of Mana studio ON THE DAY it released

zhugeex.com•130 days ago

To clarify. This doesn’t impact the games operation and the current roadmap is still the plan

NetEase started its reevaluation last year, leading to funding being pulled / closures of studios in Japan and the US. The reevaluation, which is still ongoing, is being undertaken for multiple reasons.

zhugeex.com•130 days ago

It’s a bad look for NetEase to layoff a successful team, no matter the reason or how small the team is.

The previous layoffs or closures included studios where you could argue current performance / lack of results was the issue. Can’t make the same argument here.

stoked4good.bsky.social•130 days ago

THIS is worth nothing.

jahranimo.bsky.social•130 days ago

Thanks for the additional information ZhugeEx.

This is crazy......and right when they announce new content for the game coming this weekend too.

june-egbert.bsky.social•130 days ago

which is just really poor timing, because we've known ben and johnny were coming to the game late february since about the time reed and sue dropped

gannjerrod.bsky.social•130 days ago

TBH I think the timing was very deliberate to try and distract from the layoffs.

june-egbert.bsky.social•129 days ago

we've known they were going to release on the 21st for at least a few weeks now

joserbala.dev•129 days ago

I do agree with this.

argonianmage.bsky.social•130 days ago

I always appreciate you always telling the full details and keeping us informed.

mikech.bsky.social•130 days ago

OTOH, there is value in regional operations. Last week they fixed an obscure Linux bug because of feedback. I might be surprised, but I doubt the core dev team is too concerned about Steam Decks.

plsburydoughboy.bsky.social•130 days ago

Do you have a source that said this or is it just your analysis/speculation

hwdk.bsky.social•130 days ago

I feel badly for the people who've lost their jobs, but the broader trend of Chinese firms pulling out of Western film and video game development is a very good thing, since it leaves China with less economic leverage to export CCP censorship and propaganda.

dleo.bsky.social•130 days ago

We can start to see the industry starting to focus Eastward (again).

kg117.bsky.social•130 days ago

Might be a stupid question but do you think it has anything to do with "Protecting" themselves from a future trade war with the US by reducing their investment in the west?

greg0.bsky.social•130 days ago

@zhugeex.com are you allowed to criticize Chinese companies like you would if this was a western company doing layoffs in the wake of a massively successful game launch?

zhugeex.com•130 days ago

Yes. What type of question is that?

greg0.bsky.social•130 days ago

I tbink it’s a fair and direct question. I think if this had been EA, you would have been a lot harsher in your post. Enjoy your feed, but that specific post reads like a press statement by NetEase.

zhugeex.com•130 days ago

It reads that way because I’m clarifying the situation. This is something I often try to do. I personally disagree with the move and think it sucks for the developers, but that wasn’t the purpose of that single tweet.

greg0.bsky.social•130 days ago

Understood and thanks for clarifying. Hope you have a good rest of your day/night.

bronzenezre.bsky.social•130 days ago

Glad the game is free, I hate supporting projects like this. Bought both of the season passes, highly doubtful I buy anymore content from Netease, there's just no reason, and there's no excuse. This isn't right, and this shit has to stop.

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