NetEase's Marvel Rivals has taken the gaming world by storm, achieving remarkable success since its December 2024 launch. However, the game's journey wasn't without its hurdles.  A recent report suggests the popular hero shooter was nearly canceled before it even saw the light of day.

The game quickly amassed a massive player base, exceeding 444,000 concurrent players within the first 24 hours and reaching over 10 million players in just three days.  It dominated Steam charts and later boasted a peak player count of 40 million, according to an earnings call.

A former director of Marvel Rivals has claimed responsibility for one of the game's most distinctive features. However,  Bloomberg reported that the game's development was almost halted by NetEase founder William Ding.  An unnamed source alleges Ding hesitated to pay Disney for the rights to use Marvel characters.  The source further claims Ding considered replacing Marvel heroes with original NetEase creations. NetEase denies these claims, emphasizing a strong working relationship with Disney.

Despite earning over $200 million since launch, Marvel Rivals hasn't been entirely immune to NetEase's cost-cutting measures.  The game recently experienced layoffs, with former game director Thaddeus Sasser announcing the disbanding of his US-based team in Seattle. This news surprised many, considering the game's popularity and profitability, although NetEase reported a slight decline in gross profit during the December quarter.  These layoffs have sparked concern among fans about the game's future.

Following Sasser's announcement, NetEase confirmed the closure of the Seattle studio but assured players that the China-based development team continues working on new content, including characters, stages, and more for the free-to-play title.