By this point, we all know how big the video game scene is in the United States, right? And if you came here searching for the details regarding the NetEase Marvel Rivals Lawsuit, well, it is actually a legal fight between two very well-known gaming companies. Which ones? Oh, first of all, there is NetEase, which is a big Chinese gaming company, and then there is Prytania Media (the company started by Jeff and Annie Strain). And if you don’t know yet, well, this NetEase is the very same company behind that super famous Marvel Rivals game. As per the details that are already out regarding this lawsuit, well, Jeff and Annie had big plans for game development in the country, and they even went on to buy smaller studios like Crop Circle Games and Possibility Space for that specific reason.
And? Like, what went wrong then, or what’s the actual problem? Oh, well, it all started back in January 2025 when Jeff and Annie sued NetEase because they claimed that this Chinese company was spreading bad rumors about them. This is exactly the reason why their investors kinda got scared of investing in their company and projects, and this is precisely what led to the shutdown of their studios.
What Did NetEase Allegedly Do Wrong?
It is not just spreading the bad rumors that this Netease Marvel Rivals Lawsuit is all about, nah, instead, Jeff and Annie are claiming that this Chinese company used unfair trade tactics, made false claims, and damaging statements towards Prytania Media. With all of this going on, sure enough, investors keep a sharp eye on such things ,and that’s precisely why they kinda got scared and backed away from the investments. So yes, in the end, Crop Circle Games had to shut down, and as a result, we also saw that Prytania also went on to cut down on resources too. Much like the Navient Student Loan Debt Lawsuit, where borrowers are pushing back against unfair practices that harmed their financial futures, this case highlights how serious the impact of corporate actions can be on people’s livelihoods.
That’s not the only allegation against NetEase, if you dig deep, you’ll find that this very lawsuit also talks about something called “Project Vonnegut.” It was a project in which a secret game was being developed at one of Prytania’s studios. And once again, Jeff Strain actually says that the details regarding this project got leaked, and that has something to do with NetEase.
A Timeline Full of Drama
You might think it is all very recent, but the thing is, this lawsuit actually talks about a previous deal that NetEase did with Activision Blizzard back in late 2023. Sure enough, even back then, NetEase was accused of not handling things the right way.
And then, in 2024, all that incident happened where the secret info regarding Prytania’s studios was leaked, and that led to Crop Circle Games shutting down.
And now, we’re in 2025, when Jeff and Annie had enough of all this, and they went on to sue NetEase, and now they’re demanding $900 in damages, which is actually three times what their company was actually worth.
So, as of 2025, this is where things stand now, and the case is still in progress, so we’d say that you should keep up with it.
Read related cases in our Celebrity & Media Lawsuits section.
