Netflix closes more game studios as it pulls back on video games

Five years after acquiring the developer behind the critically acclaimed titles Oxenfree and Afterparty, Netflix has announced plans to shut down Night School Studio and another studio they owned called Moonloot. This comes six weeks after the release of Night School's latest game, Unhinged, which is exclusive to Netflix. Game File shared a statement from a Netflix spokesperson who explained that the company is making organizational changes to focus its efforts, leading to the closure of these studios and a reduction in jobs within Netflix's internal games team.

The spokesperson expressed gratitude to the talented colleagues being let go, thanking them for their contributions to Netflix and wishing them well. However, one notable loss is the company's sole games accessibility staffer. Night School Studio has built a reputation for high-quality output, working on the Oxenfree games and Afterparty, as well as several other titles. Moonloot was reportedly working on an Animal Crossing-style game, but that project will not come to fruition now.

Interestingly, Netflix's spokesperson claimed that "Games continue to be an opportunity for us to expand the variety of entertainment we offer Netflix members." However, Game File notes that Netflix has shut down several studios in recent years, including one led by former Call of Duty and Halo developers. The outlet suggests that Netflix's games efforts have not yielded much notable content so far.

Despite this, the article expresses solidarity with those affected by the closures at Night School Studio, Moonloot, and Netflix's internal games team.