Spry Fox has officially confirmed its departure from Netflix and shared new details about how the studio is moving forward, including major salary sacrifices by its founders and a clearer window for Spirit Crossing’s public beta in spring 2026.
The update comes just over a month after reports surfaced that Netflix had sold the studio back to its founders, ending a three-year period that began with Netflix’s acquisition of Spry Fox in 2022.
A Fast Exit and a New Start
In a post published on the Spry Fox website, co-founder David Edery confirmed that the studio is now fully independent again and currently has nearly 50 people working on Spirit Crossing. The team is mostly full-time, with some part-time contractors and co-developers brought in through partner studios.
Edery also described the project as the studio’s biggest game ever. He said the team is smaller than you’d normally expect for a game at this scale. He noted that comparable games often have teams two to four times larger, so Spry Fox is relying on experience and tradeoffs to keep development moving forward.
According to Edery, the split from Netflix happened at an unusually fast pace. “From ‘maybe we should explore this’ to ‘we’re independent again’ took about three months,” he wrote, adding that a spinout of this size typically takes six to nine months.
Despite the speed of the transition, Spry Fox retained ownership of Spirit Crossing. And, avoided the fate of other Netflix-backed studios that were shut down during the company’s recent pullback from internal game development.
Founders Take Pay Cuts to Keep the Studio Alive
One of the most interesting details from the announcement is how the studio is funding its next phase. Edery revealed that both he and co-founder Daniel Cook have reduced their salaries to $20,000 per year, spent their own money to buy the studio back, and are giving the majority of company equity to the rest of the studio’s employees.
The stated goal is to build a fairer structure at a time when much of the games industry has been hit by layoffs and closures, while keeping Spirit Crossing on track without Netflix paying the studio’s bills.
“In a world where executives tend to make 10x the salaries that employees do, and have 100x the equity, we want Spry Fox to be an example of something fairer and hopefully much better.”
Edery also framed the studio’s survival as a rare bright spot in a rough stretch for the industry. He called the last few years “bleak”. While saying he’s grateful something “surprising and hopeful” could happen for Spry Fox.
Spirit Crossing Still Coming to Netflix, With More Platforms Planned
Spirit Crossing is still planned as a free mobile title for Netflix subscribers, but independence changes the long-term plan. Spry Fox says it now needs to do additional work to support more platforms, expand QA, and build a sustainable business model that can support live development in the future.
The studio also reiterated what it wants Spirit Crossing to be: a massively social cozy game built around self-expression, friendship, and community, with a focus on bringing people together and reducing loneliness.
Spry Fox confirmed plans for:
- A Steam release
- A public beta in spring 2026, roughly April through June
- A full launch later in 2026
- Additional platforms to be announced later
Development on Spirit Crossing began in 2019. And, the game continues to be positioned as a cozy multiplayer life sim centred on shared spaces and building a village together. Netflix will still publish the mobile version for members. Though Spry Fox now has the freedom to expand well beyond Netflix’s ecosystem.
A Note on Cozy Grove and the Studio’s Other Games
Spry Fox also briefly addressed its existing games. They still care deeply about the worlds it has already built. Edery singled out Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit. Saying it “never got the launch it deserved” under Netflix . The studio is joining forces with partners to bring it to PC and consoles. More details to be shared later.
Another Sign of Netflix’s Shifting Games Strategy
Spry Fox’s departure is the latest example of Netflix reshaping its gaming ambitions. Over the past year, the company has:
- Shut down its AAA internal studio
- Cancelled multiple external projects
- Pivoted toward lighter, more accessible games
- Increased focus on mobile-first and kid-friendly experiences
Netflix has also signaled interest in social-style games that use phones as controllers. Executives have pointed to broader engagement rather than traditional console-style development as the goal. Netflix has not commented directly on the Spry Fox departure. Even so, the move lines up with a broader shift in how the company is approaching its gaming business.
Spry Fox’s Plans Going Forward
For Spry Fox, this is both a reset and a risk. The studio keeps control of its largest project yet. And, now they have to support development, expansion, and long-term live updates. All without Netflix funding everything behind the scenes.
For gamers, it means Spirit Crossing is no longer locked to a single platform. A Steam beta is planned for spring. A wider launch is expected later in 2026, giving the game a clearer path to reaching a bigger audience over time.
We’ll keep tracking updates on Spirit Crossing, including beta timing, platform announcements, and what Spry Fox shares next about its plans as an independent studio again.
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