Bad surprise for the employees of Marvel Heroes. They were all laid off on Thanksgiving. The action MMO Marvel Heroes (PC, PS4, Xbox One) is ending this Friday. The game is closing a month earlier than expected – refunds are unclear.
It was clear for a week that Marvel Heroes would close on December 31, 2017. Disney decided not to renew the superhero license. The game was therefore on the verge of extinction. However, everyone thought it would at least still run for another month.
Players tried in the meantime to get back freshly spent money. After all, Marvel Heroes had only been released on PS4 and Xbox One in the summer of 2017 – so some were hoping to see their money back with the help of Sony and Microsoft. But the situation regarding refunds was still unclear, and then came the next piece of bad news.
Unemployment knocks on the door at Thanksgiving
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Gazillion employees received a termination letter at home. US websites are partially reporting from this letter. It states that the banks pulled the plug and therefore almost all employees of the studio were laid off.
Especially bitter: Employees are apparently losing their claim to paid accumulated vacation and other benefits, such as health insurance. Normally, employees in the gaming industry fall relatively softly during such a studio closure with severance pay and transition packages. Here, that is apparently not the case. The laid-off employees are hitting hard.
You want your money back for boosters – I wonder how to pay for insulin
A former Gazillion employee writes on Twitter: “I know many people are angry because they want refunds for their in-game purchases in Marvel Heroes. But please, think of us too, we are not getting severance pay, no paid vacation days and our health insurance ends in 8 days. Some people are wondering how to get their money back that they spent on boosts. I’m wondering how to pay for my insulin.”
This sudden closure also affects players. The game’s servers are now expected to go offline this Friday, although the closure was originally planned for the end of 2017. Until then, Marvel Heroes wanted to release the content for free that was actually waiting for paying players in the cash shop.
The reasons for Disney’s withdrawal from Marvel Heroes are still unclear. However, there are reports of problems in the management of the studio.
Bethesda and Blizzard are making job offers
As is often observed in such cases, employers from other studios are speaking out and offering the laid-off employees the opportunity to work and apply for their studio. Layoffs, including waves of layoffs, occur repeatedly in the gaming industry. Employees from other studios often show solidarity.
Both Blizzard and Bethesda have already extended a helping hand. The situation is particularly bizarre because the layoffs occurred on Thanksgiving. Many people in the USA use the holiday to travel home for a long weekend and spend time with their families.
More about the background of the closure of Marvel Heroes can be read here:
