After NetEase laid off the Seattle-based Marvel Rivals team, there were rumors that the Chinese gaming giant was planning to exit North America and would be divesting its assets, a decision that would likely lead to the closure of a dozen studios—unless they find alternative funding. Two studios owned by NetEase have now confirmed they will not be impacted.
The first studio that shared a news that many considered cheery was Anchor Point founded and headed by former Control lead designer Paul Ehreth. Issuing a public statement on X, Ehreth who is the company’s CEO confirmed the Anchor Point is still working on their debut game.
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“Due to recent news of multiple studio closures, we’ve had many friends and fans reach out to us out of concern,” Ehreth wrote on X. “After responding to each of them, I wanted to make a more formal statement that Anchor Point Studios has not been affected by any studio closures, and we are still full steam ahead building our game.”
“So far, NetEase has been a great partner for us, giving us creative control and development support, and we look forward to the prospect of shipping an exceptional game together in the future. While it may be stormy seas at the moment for the industry, we are very much still growing, and we have several positions open for anyone looking for a safe harbor.”
When the news spread, it was rumored that Quantic Dreams, Nagoshi Studio, and Grasshopper were all at risk of closure. Quantic Dreams CEO and head of publishing Guillaume de Fondaumière has also released a public statement confirming that they are not affected by any restructuring going on at NetEase.
“We were deeply saddened to learn about the recent layoffs and studio closures affecting some of the NetEase group’s divisions,” Fondaumière wrote on LinkedIn. “Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, and we sincerely hope that they quickly find new opportunities.”
“David Cage and I would like to express our gratitude to the fans and friends who have reached out to us in recent days regarding QUANTIC DREAM. We want to reassure everyone that our studios in Paris and Montreal remain unaffected.”
Contrary to the rumors, both Anchor Point Studios and Quantic Dream are actively recruiting and calling on those who may be interested in working with them to check their open listing.
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If you are interested in working for Anchor Point Studios, scroll through this list. They currently have open roles for hard surface artists and senior AI designers. There are more roles in Quantic Dream yearning for employees to fill and you can find the full list of openings here.
NetEase has neither confirmed nor denied the idea that it was exiting North America but denied rumors that the recent cuts were part of a wider strategy change. NetEase which was previously popular with mobile games has expanded in recent years with the acquisition of studios established by industry veterans in Japan, North America, and Europe.
Do you find the statement from Anchor Point and Quantic Dream CEOs reassuring or do you believe there is no smoke without fire? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
