Netflix shuts down its Squid Game mobile studio
In a surprising turn of events, Netflix has announced the closure of Boss Fight Entertainment, the mobile game studio known for developing the hit game “Squid Game: Unleashed.” This decision comes just over a year after Netflix acquired Boss Fight in March 2022, with high hopes of leveraging the studio’s expertise to bolster its gaming offerings. The acquisition was touted by Netflix executives as a strategic move to enhance the gaming experience for subscribers, with Boss Fight’s extensive portfolio of successful games seen as a key asset. Notably, “Squid Game: Unleashed” achieved remarkable success, becoming the “#1 Free Action Game in 107 countries” shortly after its launch, which co-CEO Greg Peters highlighted during a recent earnings call as a prime example of the narrative-driven gaming experiences Netflix aims to expand.
Despite this initial success, the closure of Boss Fight reflects a broader trend of layoffs and studio closures in the gaming industry, indicating the challenges many companies face in adapting to changing market dynamics. Former Boss Fight CEO David Rippy expressed gratitude for his time at Netflix, despite the unfortunate news, while other staff members shared their pride in the work done at the studio and the games released. This closure follows Netflix’s previous decision to shut down its AAA game studio before it could launch any titles, signaling a shift in the company’s gaming strategy. Looking ahead, Netflix is pivoting towards interactive experiences, particularly party games that utilize mobile devices as controllers, as part of its evolving approach to gaming.
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Netflix has shut down Boss Fight Entertainment, the studio behind the mobile game
Squid Game: Unleashed
, according to posts from staffers on LinkedIn.
Netflix acquired Boss Fight
in March 2022
, with an executive saying
at the time
that the studio’s “extensive experience building hit games across genres will help accelerate our ability to provide Netflix members with great games wherever they want to play them.” The company has frequently touted the success of
Squid Game: Unleashed
,
highlighting how
it was the “ #1 Free Action Game in 107 countries upon release” and co-CEO Greg Peters pointing to
Unleashed
during
this week’s earnings call
as an example of the types of narrative games based on its own franchises that it wants to do more of.
But over three years after the acquisition and some changes to Netflix’s
gaming
strategy
, Boss Fight has been closed. Netflix declined to comment.
“Hi everyone – well, word has gotten around quickly about Boss Fight’s closure,” Boss Fight
co-founder and former CEO David Rippy said
. “Thanks, everyone who reached out today. Rough news, for sure, but I’m very grateful for the time we had at Netflix.”
“After 10+ great years working at Boss Fight, the last few as part of Netflix, the time has come for the studio to close down,” David Luehmann, a director of game development at the studio,
said in a post
. “I am very proud of all the people, work, and games we’ve released. I wish you could see what we had cooking!”
The shutdown follows persistent layoffs across the industry, including
cut jobs at
Dune: Awakening
developer Funcom
despite that game’s success and
layoffs at Cloud Chamber
, the studio making the next title in the
BioShock
franchise.
Last year, Netflix closed its AAA game studio
before it ever released a game
. Netflix’s next big gaming initiative is focused around party games you can play on your TV
using your phone as a controller
, and Peters said this week that the company
is ‘judiciously’ expanding into interactive experiences
.
