Wyrdsong, a promising open-world RPG set in a distorted medieval Portugal, is facing serious difficulties in its development. Created by a team of veterans who worked on iconic titles like Skyrim, Fallout, and The Outer Worlds, the game was showcased at the Gamescom Opening Night Live three years ago. The intention was to offer players a rich experience, exploring the mythological roots of the Knights Templar in a vibrant 12th-century landscape. A game that seeks to create a sense of great scale The studio Something Wicked Games received an initial investment of 13.2 million dollars […]
Wyrdsong, a promising open-world RPG set in a distorted medieval Portugal, is facing serious difficulties in its development. Created by a team of veterans who worked on iconic titles like Skyrim, Fallout, and The Outer Worlds, the game was showcased at the Gamescom Opening Night Live three years ago. The intention was to provide players with a rich experience, exploring the mythological roots of the Knights Templar in a vibrant 12th-century landscape.
A game that aims to create a sense of great scale
The studio Something Wicked Games received an initial investment of 13.2 million dollars from NetEase, a figure that, although it sounds considerable, has proven insufficient to create a large-scale RPG. As development progressed, the studio faced massive layoffs, which significantly limited its operational capacity and affected the initial ambition of the project.
Aware of the need to adapt to the new market reality, the developers created a second prototype that moves away from the open world towards a zone-based RPG, adding rogue-lite elements. However, despite these efforts, the search for additional funding has been unsuccessful. The current situation of the studio has left a small team working hard to keep the project going.
The post-pandemic landscape has generated uncertainty in the video game industry, with increasing competition and changes in player behavior, who are becoming more selective and expect discounts before acquiring new titles. Companies are struggling for funding in an environment that many consider unstable. Jeff Gardiner, co-founder of Something Wicked, expresses his concern about the situation, highlighting that they have seen key talents leave for other opportunities, which adds pressure to the development of Wyrdsong.
As players continue to immerse themselves in timeless titles like Skyrim, innovation in new projects may be compromised, raising an uncertain future for developments like Wyrdsong.
Wyrdsong is an open-world role-playing game (RPG) set in a dark fantasy world with a historical context. The player will take on the role of a fully customizable protagonist in a fictional version of Portugal during the Middle Ages.
Since its launch on the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms, the character Jeff the Shark has been the subject of controversy in the game Marvel Rivals. His ultimate ability, which allows him to swallow all characters in his area of effect, has sparked a wave of complaints among players, who claim that this results in excessive and frustrating deaths during matches. The situation has led the developing company, NetEase, to take corrective measures. In response to the criticism, they have decided to reduce the capabilities of Jeff the Shark, seeking to balance his impact on the game and […]
Since its launch on the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms, the character Jeff the Shark has been a subject of controversy in the game Marvel Rivals. His ultimate ability, which allows him to swallow all characters in his area of effect, has sparked a wave of complaints among players, who claim that this results in excessive and frustrating deaths during matches.
The situation has led the developing company, NetEase, to take corrective measures. In response to the criticism, they have decided to reduce the abilities of Jeff the Shark, seeking to balance his impact on the game and mitigate the dissatisfaction of the player community. However, the character’s creator, Kelly Thompson, has offered her thoughts on the matter, suggesting that the complaints largely come from inexperienced players. She made this statement in a joking tone during a conversation with Polygon, which, nonetheless, has added more debate to the discussion.
A beloved character in Marvel since its recent creation
Thompson, who along with artist Daniele di Nicuolo created Jeff in 2018 for the West Coast Avengers series, has worked to maintain the character’s presence in the Marvel universe, despite the cancellation of that series. Additionally, it is known that the shark has an exclusive skin in Marvel Rivals: the Incognito Dolphin, inspired by its appearance in It’s Jeff Infinity #3.
Looking to the future, Thompson has shared with the NetEase designers some aesthetic ideas that could enrich Jeff’s representation in the game. The controversy surrounding the character reflects the complexity of balancing abilities in hero shooters and the ongoing dialogue between developers and players in a market as competitive as the current one.
NetEase has been going through a tumultuous period, carrying out mass layoffs in its studios over the past few months. The situation recently culminated in the closure of the Ouka studio, a decision that came just one day after the release of the JRPG remake, Visions of Mana. This abrupt move has raised concerns among developers about job stability and management within the video game industry. Following the events, Kenji Ozawa, former director of Ouka and co-director of Visions of Mana, has decided to found his own studio, Studio Sasanqua. In an interview with Automaton, […]
NetEase has been going through a tumultuous period, carrying out mass layoffs in its studios over the past few months. The situation recently culminated in the closure of the Ouka studio, a decision that came just one day after the release of the JRPG remake, Visions of Mana. This abrupt measure has raised concerns among developers about job stability and management within the video game industry.
After what happened, Kenji Ozawa, former director of Ouka and co-director of Visions of Mana, has decided to found his own studio, Studio Sasanqua. In an interview with Automaton, Ozawa expressed his desire to create an environment that values game creators, after facing years of insecurity and ineffective management decisions in his career. For him, Sasanqua’s mission is not only to provide a safe space for developers but also to take professional and financial responsibility for any management mistakes that may arise in the future.
A study that seeks, above all, to be sustainable
Ozawa emphasizes that the industry faces serious problems, such as psychological pressure on developers and a culture of unjustified layoffs in response to poor corporate decisions. In his statements, he indicates that it is essential to protect video game creators from these harmful expectations that permeate the sector.
Despite the adverse context and recent restructuring, NetEase has confirmed its commitment to the development of Marvel Rivals, stating that, although teams have been reduced in other areas, more is being invested in the evolution and growth of this particular game. This strategy suggests that, despite the layoffs, the company is focused on its future in the competitive video game market.
Marvel Rivals, the new hero shooter developed by NetEase, has made a positive impact in the market after three months of its launch, accumulating promising figures. This situation has caused a temporary negative effect on the player base of Overwatch 2, which has been in the process of recovery thanks to recent changes and updates implemented by Blizzard. Overwatch 2 is not competition for Marvel Rivals in the eyes of NetEase, but rather companions. Despite the occasional decrease in users in Overwatch 2, NetEase has made it clear that it does not view this situation as negative competition. During a recent […]
Marvel Rivals, the new hero shooter developed by NetEase, has made a positive impact in the market after three months of its launch, accumulating promising figures. This situation has caused a temporary negative effect on the player base of Overwatch 2, which has been in the process of recovery thanks to recent changes and updates implemented by Blizzard.
Overwatch 2 is not competition for Marvel Rivals in the eyes of NetEase, but rather companions
Despite the occasional decrease in users in Overwatch 2, NetEase has made it clear that it does not view this situation as negative competition. During a recent meeting with its shareholders, the company emphasized that both Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 are “excellent superhero shooters” and that there is enough space in the market for both titles to coexist successfully. From NetEase’s perspective, the combination of talented development teams supports the quality of both games.
Blizzard, for its part, is focusing on innovations to revitalize Overwatch 2 and reconnect with its player community. The company has decided to step out of its comfort zone instead of following a conservative strategy, taking on the challenges posed by the growing competition that Marvel Rivals represents. This means that in the upcoming seasons 16 and 17, Blizzard’s title will incorporate new heroes, game modes, and other significant updates, aiming to attract back players who had drifted away.
The success of Marvel Rivals is particularly significant, as it marks a return for Blizzard’s releases in China, a key market where NetEase acts as the publisher for titles like World of Warcraft. Both gaming titans continue to watch with interest how the situation will develop in a market that seems to be in constant evolution. Therefore, the clash between these two games may drive, rather than hinder, the growth of the industry. Both companies are expected to continue innovating to maintain their audience’s attention.
NetEase is not making friends. Despite the tremendous success that Marvel Rivals is having, it has not hesitated to fire several key members of the development studio. The reason has not been clarified at any point, at least not officially. This has led to much speculation both in the industry and in the video game press. After all, the mantra until now has been that making a successful selling game kept you safe from losing your job. Something that seems to no longer be true. What are these decisions based on? Basically, that NetEase is […]
NetEase is not making friends. Despite the tremendous success that Marvel Rivals is having, it has not hesitated to fire several key members of the development studio. The reason has not been clarified at any point, at least not officially. This has led to much speculation both in the industry and in the video game press. After all, the mantra until now has been that making a successful-selling game kept you safe from losing your job. Something that seems to no longer be true.
What are the reasons behind these decisions? Basically, NetEase is looking to restructure its businesses, moving away from all operations in the US, as well as any that are not expected to be multimillion-dollar successes. This is partly due to questionable advisors, CEOs with realistic expectations, and, as we will see in a moment, a dozen studios around the world hijacked by the absurd ideas of people with little or no understanding of the material reality of the video game world.
Marvel Rivals is a thrilling, team-based PvP game that brings the expansive Marvel universe to life in a dynamic and engaging way. This action game allows players to assemble their dream teams from a wide array of beloved Marvel characters, including heroes and villains from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more.
Everything started before what happened with Marvel Rivals
Before getting into the matter, it is worth remembering that all of this did not start with Marvel Rivals. Before that, NetEase had already made very aggressive moves. Closing the Ouka Studios, which published the critically acclaimed and best-selling Visions of Mana after launching the game to market, making a wave of layoffs at Liquid Swords, the Swedish company behind the Just Cause franchise, abruptly halting operations at Worlds Untold, the new studio of the Mass Effect writer, and having disposed of Jar of Sparks, a new studio from the designer of Halo Infinite, their moves have been this irregular for at least a couple of years. It’s just that now they are more evident.
What is the reason for this? Well, in recent days, two different reports have delved into the reasons for it, one from Bloomberg and another from Game File. Both of them reaching the conclusion that the problem at NetEase is the CEO and founder of the company, William Ding.
A volatile leadership without a clear plan
To understand why, we have to go back to 2018. It was then that Ding set the goal for half of NetEase’s revenue to come from Japan and the West. This led him to start investing in companies like Bungie, as well as in studios founded by veterans of both Western and Japanese companies that had previously released successful games. The problem is that his plan has not worked as he expected, failing to achieve that parity with respect to Chinese productions.
Why is that? To begin with, due to the success of games like Eggy Party, a multiplayer game that has been a hit in China. Also due to the success of other Chinese companies, such as Tencent and MiHoyo, which made Ding feel that they were falling behind. This has led him, in recent years, to decide to radically change his strategic plan: instead of making high-quality single-player games, he wants to focus on service titles aimed at a mass audience. He even stated that any game that cannot generate millions of dollars a year is not worth developing.
Being accused of having a volatile character and not knowing much about video games by his own employees, his downfall has led to the departure of NetEase Games president, Xiaojun Hui, after 20 years leading the company. This demonstrates the leadership problem that exists within it.
What is the situation of the other studios? Not much better. NetEase wants to get rid of practically all of them, looking for a buyer and threatening them with closure if one is not found. This is the situation of studios like Quantic Dreams, Anchor Point, GPTRACK50, Pincool, Rebel Wolves, Skybox Labs, Studio Flare, and T-Minus Zero Entertainment, which could find themselves working for others at any moment or, worse yet, without a studio. All because of the capricious moves of a CEO.
An uncertain future for the industry
How all this will affect NetEase remains to be seen. The number of closures and moves aimed at keeping only their studios capable of creating successful games as a service, especially when they haven’t even worked that well for them in the past, doesn’t seem like a very smart move. Not when the industry seems to be facing more and more problems sustaining itself with that kind of moves, with all the companies that have tried it stepping back one after another.
This does not change the fact that this drama seems to be just beginning. That we still have much to learn about NetEase. Whether Ding’s plans succeed or fail, it is evident that the video game industry will not emerge stronger or better from the moves being made by his company.
Marvel Rivals is a thrilling, team-based PvP game that brings the expansive Marvel universe to life in a dynamic and engaging way. This action game allows players to assemble their dream teams from a wide array of beloved Marvel characters, including heroes and villains from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more.
Players of Marvel Rivals are facing excessive wait times and disconnections that have severely affected the gaming experience on the platform. Despite more than 200,000 users being online, many are unable to join a match, leading to growing frustration within the community. A major server outage has occurred, and NetEase, the game’s developer, has officially acknowledged the issues and is working to resolve them. According to community manager James, through the official game Discord, the company is investigating the inconveniences as a priority. However, so far there is no […]
Players of Marvel Rivals are facing excessive wait times and disconnections that have severely affected the gaming experience on the platform. Despite more than 200,000 users being online, many are unable to join a match, which has generated growing frustration within the community.
A significant server outage
NetEase, the game’s developer, has officially acknowledged the issues and is working to resolve them. According to community manager James, through the official game Discord, the company is investigating the inconveniences as a priority. However, so far no estimated time for a solution has been provided, which has intensified concern among players, who do not know if the situation will be resolved soon or if they will remain in uncertainty for a longer period.
The situation worsens in the night of North America, a critical moment for players looking to enjoy a smooth online experience. Frustration has been evident on streaming platforms, where figures like the streamer Surefour have shared their discontent while waiting for the game to return to normal. During one of his streams, Surefour expressed his exasperation, commenting that he would prefer “lukewarm water” rather than face the current server issues.
Despite the challenges, there is a significant interest in Marvel Rivals, as indicated by the more than 200,000 connected players, although many of them are likely stuck on non-functional lobby screens. As players await an update, the NetEase team continues to work on restoring full service and improving the gaming experience in the future. Although, of course, their timing has not been the best.
NetEase, one of the most prominent giants in the video game industry, is facing a worrying situation following the resounding success of its title Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter that has broken records in its category. Despite this triumph, recent reports suggest that the company was close to canceling the game due to its refusal to pay Disney for the use of its iconic characters. This conflict highlights the inherent tensions in the relationship between major video game companies and intellectual property holders in an increasingly competitive market. Not even […]
NetEase, one of the most prominent giants in the video game industry, is facing a concerning situation following the resounding success of its title Marvel Rivals, a hero shooter that has broken records in its category. Despite this triumph, recent reports suggest that the company was close to canceling the game due to its refusal to pay Disney for the use of its iconic characters. This conflict highlights the inherent tensions in the relationship between major video game companies and intellectual property holders in an increasingly competitive market.
Not even being a success protects you from being fired
However, the situation is not limited to the future of Marvel Rivals. The company has announced plans for significant cuts and a restructuring that could affect more than a dozen international studios, many of which have produced acclaimed titles. It is rumored that NetEase may choose to close or divest from prominent studios, which could hinder its recent international expansion.
Among the studios at risk are Nagoshi Studio, founded by the creator of Yakuza, Toshihiro Nagoshi; Grasshopper Manufacture, by Suda51; and Quantic Dream, responsible for Detroit: Become Human. Other prominent teams under review include Studio Flare, Pincool, and GPTRACK50, all led by industry veterans with a considerable legacy. A spokesperson for NetEase has indicated that all projects are under “constant review and evaluation” to determine necessary changes, although the company has refused to confirm the extent of the cuts.
NetEase’s international expansion strategy has been one of its main bets in recent years, but the direction the company could take under these circumstances raises concerns about its future in the increasingly competitive global video game market.
Recently, several developers from the successful game Marvel Rivals, produced by NetEase Games, were fired. The news was confirmed by the game’s director, Thaddeus Sasser, who expressed his surprise at the situation. According to Sasser, his “talented team” had contributed to the launch of a new and successful franchise, achieving Marvel Rivals reaching 10 million players in its first 72 hours and 20 million in the following week. Despite these impressive numbers, all developers located in America, including two level designers, were fired. Marvel Rivals has positioned itself among the top five video games in […]
Recently, several developers from the successful game Marvel Rivals, produced by NetEase Games, were laid off. The news was confirmed by the game’s director, Thaddeus Sasser, who expressed his surprise at the situation. According to Sasser, his “talented team” had contributed to the launch of a new and successful franchise, achieving Marvel Rivals reaching 10 million players in its first 72 hours and 20 million in the following week. Despite these impressive numbers, all developers located in America, including two level designers, were laid off.
Marvel Rivals has positioned itself among the top five video games in the United States, standing out on multiple platforms such as PC, PlayStation, and Xbox Series X|S. This success is even more remarkable given that it integrates into a saturated live service gaming market. However, the fact that NetEase is scaling back its operations in the gaming sector, especially single-player titles, has left many in the industry puzzled. Despite the recent bad news, the game will continue to receive updates, with the introduction of new characters, such as The Human Torch and The Thing, scheduled for this week.
It is not the only study that has made cuts
In addition to the layoffs at NetEase, the Swedish studio Liquid Swords has also made the difficult decision to lay off part of its team. Founded by Chistofer Sundberg in 2020, Liquid Swords has yet to release its first title, but has stated that the measure responds to a priority for “long-term sustainability”. These layoffs reflect a worrying pattern in the industry, where the success of a game does not always guarantee job stability for its developers.
Marvel Rivals is a thrilling, team-based PvP game that brings the expansive Marvel universe to life in a dynamic and engaging way. This action game allows players to assemble their dream teams from a wide array of beloved Marvel characters, including heroes and villains from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more.
The executive producer of Marvel Rivals, Weicong Wu, has reaffirmed that the NetEase Games team prefers to focus their time and effort on game development rather than creating strategies to deceive dataminers. After the game’s release last year, dataminers quickly began to explore the code in search of clues about upcoming characters. Some of their investigations confirmed the inclusion of the Fantastic Four; however, rumors about other characters emerged that do not necessarily guarantee their future incorporation into the title. Wu explained that the development process for each character is complex, and […]
The executive producer of Marvel Rivals, Weicong Wu, has reaffirmed that the NetEase Games team prefers to focus their time and effort on game development rather than creating strategies to deceive dataminers. After the game’s release last year, dataminers quickly began to explore the code in search of clues about upcoming characters. Some of their investigations confirmed the inclusion of the Fantastic Four; however, rumors about other characters emerged that do not necessarily guarantee their future incorporation into the title.
Wu explained that the development process for each character is complex, and it is possible that some leaks in the code correspond to ideas that have been explored without certainty of implementation. “There could be information in the code that means we have considered those directions, but there is no guarantee that they will appear in our future plans,” Wu mentioned. This suggests that, although some characters could be considered, such as Professor X and Paste-Pot Pete, their arrival in the game is not guaranteed.
At NetEase, they are clear: sometimes they have plans and the plans go wrong
On the other hand, the development team clarified that there is no “ten-year plan” for the game, even though Wu considered it would be ideal to have one. He compared the information extracted by dataminers to a “notebook left by someone doing preliminary work,” indicating that it may lack the necessary context for proper interpretation. When directly addressing the issue of whether NetEase is trying to outsmart the dataminers, Koo was clear: “No. We would prefer to spend our time developing the actual game.”
Finally, NetEase Games is making adjustments to the ranked rewards and extending the time for players to obtain the Invisible Woman skin, following a review of the rank reset. This change is being implemented in order to improve the player experience and provide more opportunities to unlock exclusive content.
Marvel Rivals is a thrilling, team-based PvP game that brings the expansive Marvel universe to life in a dynamic and engaging way. This action game allows players to assemble their dream teams from a wide array of beloved Marvel characters, including heroes and villains from the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and more.
The fight against cheating in video games is intensifying, especially in competitive titles like Marvel Rivals. NetEase has announced that it will implement severe penalties for players who use keyboard and mouse adapters on the console versions of the game, arguing that these tools provide unfair advantages by simulating mouse precision while taking advantage of the aim assist offered by consoles. NetEase’s statement identifies several problematic adapters, such as XIM, Cronus Zen, Titan Two, KeyMander, and Brook Sniper, and warns that any similar device will be considered as cheating. The penalties may include the […]
The fight against cheating in video games intensifies, especially in competitive titles like Marvel Rivals. NetEase has announced that it will implement severe penalties for players who use keyboard and mouse adapters on the console versions of the game, arguing that these tools provide unfair advantages by simulating the precision of a mouse while taking advantage of the aim assist offered by consoles.
The NetEase statement identifies several problematic adapters, such as XIM, Cronus Zen, Titan Two, KeyMander, and Brook Sniper, and warns that any similar device will be considered as cheats. Sanctions may include temporary or permanent account suspensions and even the removal of global leaderboards, reflecting the studio’s firm stance against cheating.
To support this initiative, the Marvel Rivals team has introduced advanced detection tools that, combined with manual supervision, will allow identifying offenders on both consoles and PC. Although opinions in the community are divided, many players applaud these efforts to protect the integrity of the game, which is being a huge success.
The game continues to develop with new content constantly
Beyond the issue of traps, Marvel Rivals plans to enrich its offering with the launch of Spider-Man’s “advanced suit,” scheduled for January 30, coinciding with the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on PC. Although this new suit will not be free, details about its price are expected to be revealed soon.
