adminNetEase Games Montréal layoffs have been reported by former employees, with available accounts indicating that quality assurance (QA) roles may be among those affected. The company has not formally confirmed the reported job cuts, so the full scale and impact remain unclear.
What is known about the NetEase Games Montréal layoffs?
Several former employees said in public statements during the past week that their roles at the studio had ended. Their accounts point primarily to QA staff, but they do not establish how many people were affected or whether other teams were included.
Scott Killingsworth, a QA project manager, said on LinkedIn that he had been affected by the layoffs. He described his time at the company as a positive period of professional growth and said he was looking ahead to new opportunities.
Senior QA lead Stefano Magnabosco also reported being affected and said he was seeking new work. Senior QA specialist Pavlina Rahneva described her departure as part of another round of cuts, noting that her time with the team had provided opportunities to learn, develop professionally, and collaborate with colleagues.
These employee statements provide evidence that roles were eliminated, but they should not be taken as an official company announcement. Until NetEase provides further details, the number of affected workers and the reason for the cuts remain unconfirmed.
Wider context for the reported cuts
The reports follow several studio closures at the end of 2025, including T-Minus Zero Entertainment, Bad Brain Game Studios, and Fantastic Pixel Castle. After closing in September, T-Minus Zero Entertainment was later acquired by a small group of veteran directors and founders.
The wider games industry has also continued to experience job losses. The report noted that almost 1,000 people had lost their jobs across the global games industry in 2026 by the time it was published. That figure reflects industry-wide cuts, not the number of people affected at NetEase Games Montréal.
Why QA roles matter
QA teams help identify technical problems, test game features, and assess how a title works across different play conditions. Changes to QA staffing can affect how teams organize testing, although the available information does not show what these reported cuts mean for any particular project at the Montréal studio.
For people following the story, the most useful details to watch for are an official company statement, a confirmed headcount, or information about changes to studio operations. Until then, employee posts offer insight into individual departures but do not provide a complete picture of the restructuring.
What to take away
The NetEase Games Montréal layoffs appear to have affected multiple QA employees, based on statements from former staff. However, NetEase has not formally confirmed the reported cuts, and details about their scale and wider impact are not yet available.
