Report: NetEase Games is cutting jobs in Montreal
The layoffs appear to have impacted staff working in QA.
Chinese conglomerate NetEase appears to have quietly laid off a number of staff at its Montreal studio.
Social media posts from a number of employees indicate the cuts were made at the turn of the year, and have impacted workers in QA—including senior members of the team.
"Unfortunately I have been affected by the recent layoffs at NetEase Games Montreal and are back on the market for some new and exciting ventures," said one worker in a LinkedIn post earlier this week.
"Last week I was impacted by the layoffs at NetEase and my time with them has come to an end. It was a great experience and I'm thankful I was able to grow as I did. Now it's time to look forward and continue that growth," reads another Linkedin post from a QA project manager impacted by the cuts.
Another LinkedIn post from a senior QA specialist described the move as a "round of layoffs."
NetEase committed to supporting its overseas studios in February 2025 after Bloomberg reported the Marvel Rivals publisher had laid off hundreds of employees across its business, although it also stated that some structural changes would be "necessary" in order to drive growth.
Since issuing that statement, NetEase has shuttered Texas-based studio T-Minus Zero Entertainment—founded by BioWare veteran Rich Vogel in 2023—and Canadian subsidiary Bad Brain Game Studios.
It also effectively shut down Fantastic Pixel Castle, which had been working on a triple-A MMO codenamed 'Ghost' under the NetEase banner.
Game Developer has reached out to NetEase for comment.