A Surprising Move From Netflix Games
Netflix Games has made the “difficult decision” to restructure its gaming studios; this has included shuttering their California-based triple-A studio which was nicknamed Team Blue. This is the studio that housed Halo veteran, Joseph Staten, Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny, and God of War art director Rafael Grassetti. So let’s dive into this news and why this is disappointing news, to say the least.
What Does This Mean?
Before we go over what this means, I want to make a note that this news comes less than a week after Netflix reported its quarterly earnings, where we found out Netflix’s revenue increased 15% year-on-year, topping out at $9.82 billion. This is a frustrating step back, as Netflix has always tried to carry itself as a “creative hub,” but it’s clear that when it comes to video games, after almost three years of investment and a slew of acquisitions and licensing deals, Netflix has decided to shutter its only Triple-A game studio. As of right now, Netflix still has the smaller mobile and indie-focused teams: Night School Studio, Spry Fox, Next Games, Moonloot Games, and Boss Fight Entertainment.
This news shouldn’t have been unexpected; however, during the summer, Netflix’s first CEO of its gaming division, Mike Verdu, stepped down from the role and was replaced by Epic Games alum Alain Tascan. When leadership changes happen in any business, there is always a shift in focus as well as layoffs, as the “new top dog” wants to make their mark on the company. The game Team Blue was working on was said to be an online first-person shooter that was free-to-play. I do think the recent failure of PlayStation Studios’ Concord had an effect on this cut, as it showcased that many new FPS games can compete with the widely popular free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Overwatch 2, and CS:GO 2.
The Future For Netflix Games Could Be Mobile Focused
Personally, I don’t mind if Netflix Games focuses on smaller, more indie-style games like they have been doing; as long as they have a cloud gaming version of those games, so more people can play them, then I don’t care if they’re triple-A or indie. Hopefully, everyone affected by this studio shuttering will be able to land on their feet somewhere soon.
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