Report: Marvel Rivals Nearly Canceled as NetEase CEO Refused to Pay Disney for Licenses
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Marvel Rivals has become one of the most talked-about games in recent months. This week, we learned that the game has attracted over 40 million players in just two months since its launch. This success makes the recent layoffs at the development team by NetEase, the company behind the game, even harder to understand.
However, can you imagine this hero shooter without the famous Marvel characters? According to a report from Bloomberg, this almost happened. William Ding, the CEO of NetEase, didn’t want to pay Disney for the Marvel licenses, which nearly caused the game to be canceled.
Marvel Rivals Nearly Canceled Over NetEase CEO’s Refusal to Pay Marvel Licenses
At one point during development, the game was under review by Ding, who refused to pay for the licenses. He even asked the game’s artists to replace Marvel characters with original designs, which nearly led to the project being canceled. Bloomberg claims that this decision cost NetEase “millions of dollars.”
Despite this, NetEase has firmly denied these claims, with a company spokesperson insisting they have had a strong partnership with Marvel since 2017.
In other Marvel Rival news, Producer Weicong Wu shared that the team is experimenting with new gameplay modes, but no specific plans for PvE are in place. However, Executive Producer Danny Koo acknowledged the audience’s interest in a PvE mode and mentioned that the team is exploring options for a lighter version.
Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play hero shooter available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
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