Regarding Sasser’s role as Rivals’ Game Director, in VideoGamer’s podcast from November 2024, first spotted by Mark Kern, Sasser himself highlighted the distinction between the Game Director and the Creative Director, pointing out that the main creative mind behind Marvel Rivals was Guangyun Chen, while his own role focused on “manpower and budgets.” With that in mind, it seems that while Sasser’s departure may impact the production side of things, it is unlikely to be felt by players, as Guangyun Chen will continue to serve as “the face” of the game.
Lastly, concerning the true scope of the layoffs, according to Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Second Wind Nick Calandra, NetEase’s latest round of eliminations only affected a total of six individuals – the entire “American Division for Marvel Rivals.” For comparison, NetEase Games’ “About” page on LinkedIn states that the company has over 10,000 people under its employ, meaning that in terms of numbers (only numbers, not necessarily impact), the layoffs barely made a dent. However, it’s no secret that a headline like “NetEase fires the entire US branch, including Marvel Rivals’ Game Director” would attract far more clicks than “NetEase lays off six developers,” which explains why the situation was blown out of proportion.
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