NetEase Games has reportedly carried out a round of layoffs at its Montréal studio, with multiple employees stating their roles were terminated around the turn of the year. The cuts appear to have primarily affected quality assurance staff, and the company has yet to issue an official public statement.
QA Staff Confirm Layoffs On LinkedIn
Reports of the layoffs emerged after several former NetEase Games Montréal employees posted about losing their roles on LinkedIn. The affected staff include QA project managers, senior QA leads, and specialists.
QA project manager Scott Killingsworth wrote that he was impacted by layoffs last week, stating that his time with NetEase had come to an end and that he was grateful for the opportunity to grow professionally.
Senior QA lead Stefano Magnabosco also confirmed his redundancy, saying he was back on the market after being affected by recent layoffs at NetEase Games Montréal.
Image via LinkedIn
Senior QA specialist Pavlina Rahneva described the situation as another round of layoffs, adding that her time at NetEase had ended despite what she called a rewarding and educational experience working with the team.
Similar statements were shared by other former QA staff, many of whom emphasised their years of experience in the video game industry while seeking new opportunities. Across the posts, employees consistently framed the departures as involuntary and part of a broader layoff round rather than individual exits.
At the time of writing, NetEase has not formally confirmed the layoffs.
Layoffs Follow NetEase Studio Closures In North America
The reported Montréal job losses come amid continued restructuring across NetEase’s overseas operations. In February 2025, NetEase publicly committed to supporting its international studios after reports surfaced that hundreds of employees had been laid off across the company. At the same time, it acknowledged that structural changes would still be required to drive future growth.
Since that pledge, NetEase has closed several studios, including Texas-based T-Minus Zero Entertainment, founded by BioWare veteran Rich Vogel, and Canadian subsidiary Bad Brain Game Studios. The publisher also effectively shut down Fantastic Pixel Castle, which had been developing a triple-A MMO codenamed Ghost under the NetEase banner.
Separate reports have also indicated that NetEase previously laid off staff from its US operations, reinforcing concerns about the long-term stability of some of its Western studios.
Industry Job Losses Continue Into 2026
The situation at NetEase Games Montréal comes amid continued instability across the global games industry. Nearly 1,000 developers have reportedly lost their jobs worldwide so far in 2026, extending a trend of layoffs and studio shutdowns seen throughout the past two years.
While the total number of roles affected in Montréal remains unclear, the concentration of QA-related departures suggests NetEase’s restructuring efforts are still ongoing, particularly across its international studios.