NetEase-owned studio Spliced Inc is seemingly preparing to make layoffs. LinkedIn posts from a number of employees indicate the studio has commenced a redundancy process and informed workers their roles may be at risk.
“I am actively seeking other animator opportunities as my current role at Spliced Inc is potentially affected by an ongoing redundancy process,” said one lead animator at the studio.
“My role at Spliced is unfortunately at risk of redundancy, so I’m beginning to explore new opportunities,” said another employee.
One member of the team indicated they have already been laid off and said it is “wild that a AAA studio has died without showing anything.”
Spliced was established by NetEase in 2023. The Chinese conglomerate said the studio would adopt an anti-crunch mindset and operate on a “remote-first” basis.
The development team included senior figures with experience working on notable franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, The Sims, Rocket League, and Red Dead Redemption.
It’s unclear what Spliced has been working on over the past three years and whether those projects have now been cancelled.
NetEase has significantly downsized its roster of internal studios in recent years—with those cuts largely targeting teams in the west.
Last year, the company shut down T-Minus Zero Entertainment, Bad Brain Game Studios, and Fantastic Pixel Castle. Those closures came months after the studio committed to supporting its overseas operations while stating that some structural changes would be “necessary.”
More recently, NetEase sold its stake in mobile studio Mattel163 to Mattel and jettisoned in-house studio Anchor Point.
Game Developer has reached out to NetEase for comment.