Marvel Rivals owner Netease says heck no we didn't shut down our AI department or warn devs off it: "The situation described did not occur"

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Netease has scheduled GDC talks on integrating AI in games

Marvel Rivals Season 3 Knull pressing a finger on Hela's forehead with a red spiral
(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals owner Netease has responded to a strange situation in which Japanese developer Goichi Suda (Suda51) suggested the company had shuttered its generative AI research department and instructed its development teams to avoid the technology. Eager to set the record straight, Netease says no, it is still very much investing in AI tech.

As Eurogamer reports, Suda said, "They originally had a section researching and developing AI-related stuff, but at one point they decided not to do that any more. They folded that section and told their studios to not use AI in games, to not use it at all."

Moreover, Netease is set to host at least two panels explaining applications of AI in game development at this year's Game Developers Conference. A search shows that the GDC 2026 schedule has two AI-related talks from Netease employees listed – including one game AI designer, one technical manager, and one technical art manager.

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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