For years, Netflix has publicly emphasized its commitment to growing within the video game industry. However, it seems the streaming giant may need to reassess its strategy. Boss Fight, the creative force behind the mobile game ‘Squid Game: Unleashed,’ has officially ceased operations.
David Rippy, the CEO and co-founder of Boss Fight, shared the somber news, expressing his appreciation for the journey:
“Thanks, everyone who reached out today,” Rippy wrote. “This is undoubtedly tough news, but I’m incredibly grateful for our time at Netflix. We collaborated with truly amazing people and created many games that fill me with pride, including ‘Squid Game Unleashed,’ which soared to #1 in 26 countries. You’ll likely see similar messages from other Boss Fighters. If you have any open positions, please consider them—they are exceptional individuals and consummate professionals. As for Bill, Scott, and myself, we plan to take a brief pause before embarking on our next adventure. We’d love to hear from you if anything interesting comes up, professionally or otherwise.”
Just last summer, Netflix co-CEO and president Greg Peter indicated the company planned to significantly increase its investment in gaming, partly to explore new avenues for monetization. More recently, Netflix rolled out five new games—Lego Party, Boggle Party, Pictionary: Game Night, Tetris Time Warp, and Party Crashers—all playable directly on televisions using a phone as a controller.
Before these developments, Netflix harbored even grander plans, including a AAA multiplayer shooter project involving industry veterans like Joe Staten, known for his work on ‘Halo’ and ‘Destiny.’ Yet, this ambitious game and its development studio were also shut down in 2024. Netflix gaming executive Alain Tascan later offered insight into why the streamer decided to discontinue that particular project.
“I don’t want this decision to imply that we’re abandoning big, ambitious games,” Tascan clarified. “It was simply a matter of the game’s genre not aligning with our platform. While the team was exceptionally talented, we realized we weren’t the ideal partner to help them fully leverage their skills and expertise.”