Jeff Strain, co-founder of ArenaNet and co-creator of State of Decay, along with his wife Annie Strain, have initiated a $900 million lawsuit against NetEase, the creators of Marvel Rivals. The Strains allege that NetEase's actions led to the devaluation and eventual closure of their studio, Prytania Media Group, by spreading false rumors of fraud among investors.
The lawsuit, initially filed in January in the civil district court for the parish of Orleans in Louisiana and later moved to federal court, accuses NetEase of deliberately undermining the Strains' careers and company. The complaint suggests that NetEase, a Chinese entity, sought to circumvent U.S. laws.
According to the Strains, NetEase initially invested in Prytania's subsidiary, Crop Circle Games, acquiring a 25% stake and placing Han Chenglin on the board alongside Jeff and Annie Strain. Initially, the relationship was positive, but tensions arose as NetEase expressed concerns about compliance with U.S. foreign investment laws. The Strains claim they were pressured to keep the investment "low profile" and were suggested to open branches in Canada or Ireland to facilitate NetEase's investment without drawing regulatory scrutiny.
The complaint further alleges that NetEase has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and wanted to keep these connections hidden from the U.S. government. It references Tencent's designation as a "Chinese military company" by the U.S. and reports of NetEase CEO Ding Lei using the threat of CCP retaliation against Activision Blizzard in 2023.
The Strains also mention that Ding Lei was reportedly in the process of immigrating to the U.S. and purchasing a $29 million Bel-Air mansion from Elon Musk in 2020. They claim Lei was concerned that publicizing NetEase's investments could jeopardize his immigration status.
As the Strains continued to question NetEase about regulatory compliance, their relationship deteriorated. In early February 2024, Crop Circle Games faced financial difficulties, leading to layoffs and furloughs. The Strains allege that on February 22, Jeff Strain received a text from a venture firm's managing director accusing Crop Circle Games of fraud and misuse of funds, which they traced back to NetEase. In a March board meeting, Han Chenglin reportedly expressed surprise at the company's rapid depletion of funds, which the Strains believe fueled the rumors.
Following these allegations, other investors withdrew funding from Prytania, and the company struggled to attract new investors. By the end of March, Crop Circle Games was shut down, and Prytania's value plummeted from an estimated $344 million to nearly nothing.
In April, Annie Strain published a letter on the company website attributing the company's struggles to the industry's economic downturn and funding issues. She also mentioned an alleged article by Kotaku reporter Ethan Gach that she claimed would have disclosed her personal health struggles without her consent. The letter was soon removed, and Kotaku did not publish the article. A week later, Prytania subsidiary Possibility Space closed, with Jeff Strain citing employee leaks to the press as the reason, without mentioning NetEase or fraud allegations.
The Strains are suing NetEase for defamation, unfair trade practices, tortious interference with business relations, and negligence, seeking damages exceeding $900 million, which is triple their company's prior valuation.
In response, NetEase issued a statement to Polygon, denying the allegations and asserting their commitment to integrity. They expressed confidence that the legal process would vindicate their position and reveal the true reasons behind the Strains' studios' demise.
