Employees have reported layoffs affecting the QA team at NetEase Games Montréal

There have been reports of job cuts at NetEase's Montréal studio. Although there is no official statement from the Chinese corporation, Game Developer gathered testimonies from former employees who reported being laid off recently. Primarily, these layoffs seem to target QA staff.

Scott Killingsworth, a former QA project manager, shared on LinkedIn, "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."

Senior QA lead Stefano Magnabosco also mentioned his situation, stating, "Unfortunately, I have been affected by the recent lay-offs at NetEase Games Montréal and [am] back on the market for some new and exciting ventures."

Pavlina Rahneva, a senior QA specialist, expressed on LinkedIn, "Unfortunately, I have been affected by another round of layoffs, and my time at NetEase Games has come to an end. It was an incredible opportunity and pleasure working with everyone on the team, and a very rewarding experience throughout which I learned a lot, grew professionally, and had the opportunity to collaborate with many talented folks!"

This development comes after NetEase closed several studios last year, such as T-Minus Zero Entertainment, Bad Brain Game Studios, and Fantastic Pixel Castle. Notably, T-Minus Entertainment was acquired by a group of experienced directors and founders following its closure in September.

The global games industry has seen nearly a thousand job losses so far in 2026, according to recent data.