A few hours ago, the news that one of the teams working on Marvel Rivals for NetEase suffered major layoffs struck the industry like thunder. After all, this is arguably the biggest success of the last few months, earning an estimated $135 million in the first month alone with a user base of more than 20 million players across all platforms.
Needless to say, fans of Marvel Rivals and just regular gamers in general did not understand what was happening. We immediately reached out to NetEase to get their statement on the matter, which just arrived. Here it is 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.
Somewhat ironically, earlier in the day, NetEase had sent out a press release and video update with new details on the next Marvel Rivals patch, launching with Season 1.5: Eternal Night Falls. This will kick off on February 21, introducing The Thing and Human Torch from the Fantastic Four as playable heroes. Additionally, a new redemption system will be implemented, allowing players to convert excess Chrono Tokens into Units. The second part of Season 1 will also include a new map, 'Empire of Eternal Night: Central Park,' along with updates to competitive mode, tournament plans, and more.
The Human Torch will be a Duelist type of character in the game, adding an intense flare to every battle with scorching flames. When he's not busy burning Dracula's legions with flames brighter than the sun itself, he's soaring across the city to gather Chronovium and scavenge for parts of the Timestream Reintegration Device.
The Thing, on the other hand, will predictably be a Vanguard character. His story is well known: Ben Grimm originally signed up to be a pilot for his friend Reed, but he returned from the mission as a monster called The Thing. However, while beaming cosmic rays transformed his flesh, Ben's heart of gold still beats in his rocky body. As New York City plunged into eternal night, the Thing made it his mission to selflessly protect his home and lead missions to collect Chronovium by putting his piloting skills to the test.
NetEase also announced today that the recent in-client tournament, the Marvel Rivals Championship (MRC), maxed out its Faction registrations in North America. After the upcoming update in the second half of Season 1, this limit will be increased. There will be a series of Marvel Rivals Invitationals (MRI) set to kick off at the end of February and continue into March, paving the way for the upcoming championship.
