Netflix is closing the Oxenfree development studio, Night School, and the Helsinki-based studio, Moonloot, as it scales back internal game development and cuts roles across teams.
Stephen Totillo of Game File reported the news. Night School had just released Unhinged. The 30-minute horror narrative launched on June 30 and featured a big-name cast, including Sadie Sink, Zoe Kravitz, and Troy Baker. Before that game’s release, the studio was known for Oxenfree, a major indie game hit from 10 years ago.
Now, the studio is closing.
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Netflix Shuts Down Night School Weeks After Unhinged
A Netflix representative stated that the studio closures are due to a focus on kids’ gaming, party games, story-driven content, and games with mainstream appeal.
“We see an opportunity to be more focused in our execution, so we are making organizational changes to the business to match those priorities,” Netflix told Game File.
Additionally, Netflix has decided to cut jobs from its internal games team. While not disclosing how many individuals lost their jobs, Netflix expressed gratitude for all of their contributions and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Last month, Sean Krankel, the Narrative boss at Netflix Games, said he wanted to make the streaming platform the place to go to play stories. He also floated the idea of turning Unhinged into a Netflix film or TV series.
In a similar vein, the unnamed Netflix representative noted that games would still be an opportunity for the streaming platform to “expand the variety of entertainment we offer Netflix members.”
Insider Gaming will continue to monitor the story and report any updates. How do you feel about the cutbacks at Netflix Games? How often do you game on Netflix? Sound off about this story and all others in our official Discord server.
For more, check out the recent announcement from Supermassive Games about preparing for cutbacks of their own. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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