Marvels Rivals, which has been a huge success for publisher NetEase since its launch last year, reportedly almost didn’t make it to release. It’s claimed the company considered cancelling the project because its CEO objected to paying Disney for use of its characters.
That’s according to a new Bloomberg report detailing NetEase chief exective officer William Ding’s recent strategic upheaval – which has included sweeping jobs cuts, studio closures, and a pulling back on international investment – amid slow growth for the company and a decline in topline results over the last two and a half years.
It’s claimed Marvel Rivals – which has reportedly now generated over $200m for NetEase since its launch last December – was also in Ding’s sights prior to its release. According to Bloomberg, discussions of its cancellation arose after Ding objected to paying Disney for the use of its popular Marvel characters – with the CEO at one point reportedly asking artists to swap in NetEase’s own character designs. Those efforts were eventually aborted.
The decision – described as being “emblematic of the abrupt changes ushered in by the CEO” by Bloomberg’s sources – is said to have ultimately cost NetEase millions of dollars, although a spokesperson denied the account in a statement shared with the publication, insisting the company had “enjoyed a close partnership with Marvel” since 2017.
Over the last year, Ding’s shifting strategy has impacted multiple studios in the west. In November, for instance, BioWare veteran Mac Walters announced a “pause” in operations at his NetEase-backed Worlds Untold, and Jar of Sparks – a first-party NetEase developer founded by Halo Infinite head of design Jerry Hook – halted work in January, laying off staff.
This week also saw NetEase cut jobs at its US-based Marvel Rivals creative team, despite the game’s significant success, claiming the decision was made to “optimise development efficiency”. It also insisted it “has not wavered in its global expansion plans” amid reports it’s unloading “as much as all” of its overseas game companies due to rising costs.
