Netflix is closing two more of its game studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, Video Games Chronicle reported, citing Game File.
Netflix acquired the California studio in 2021, making Night School the first studio the streaming service bought. Night School released the critically acclaimed Oxenfree in 2016 and, after the acquisition, the sequel Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals as well as Thronglets, a mobile game spun off from Black Mirror.
Its most recent release landed six weeks ago: Unhinged, an interactive horror game designed to be played through Netflix’s cloud streaming service, in which the player’s phone acts both as the controller and as the protagonist’s phone in the game.
The company also plans to shut down Moonloot, a Finnish studio founded in 2022 that VGC reports was working on an Animal Crossing-style life sim.
Netflix narrows its games focus
A Netflix spokesperson told Game File the company is concentrating on party games, story-driven games, games aimed at children and titles with more mainstream appeal, including its recent FIFA World Cup game, and said Netflix is making organisational changes to the business to match those priorities.
We are incredibly grateful to the talented colleagues we’re saying goodbye to today.
Netflix also confirmed that it will lay off staff from its internal games team, VGC reported, though the number of jobs lost was not made clear.
VGC’s report also notes that Avowed director Carrie Patel left Obsidian last year, after 12 years at the studio, to take a directorial role at Netflix.
Join the conversation — sign in to comment.
Sign in
