After NetEase laid off its Seattle branch, many began questioning what was happening within the company, especially as it was experiencing success with Marvel Rivals. Bloomberg journalists published an article revealing the company's internal situation, and it’s far from reassuring.

William Ding, the company’s founder and CEO, has laid off hundreds of employees, shut down multiple studios, and withdrawn from international investments. Additionally, he has decided to discontinue support for more than ten games and cancel the development of numerous projects.

According to the CEO, this restructuring will strengthen the company’s position in the market, allowing it to compete with Tencent and MiHoYo. In 2024, NetEase achieved significant success, generating $11.6 billion in revenue and launching Marvel Rivals, which became a hit.

Reports indicate that William Ding believes any project that cannot generate "several hundred million dollars" annually is not worth the time spent on its development and growth. He also wants the corporation to focus on the online game Eggy Party, which has high profitability with relatively low costs.

Sources speaking to the press expressed concerns over the CEO’s erratic behavior and frequent changes of opinion. Recently, he ordered employees in China to work until 9 PM, despite all offices already having established work schedules.

Toshihiro Nagoshi, co-creator of the Like a Dragon series, is still working on his game for NetEase—he has been given time to complete it but with no budget for marketing, a situation that also applies to other Japanese teams. Meanwhile, the company stated that it will continue to support overseas studios with talented specialists.

Main image: steampowered.com

Comment on this