Netflix has shut down Boss Fight Entertainment, the studio behind its hit mobile game based on the “Squid Game” franchise.
The two games the developer has released for the streamer, the “Netflix Stories” (which had already stopped releasing new titles earlier this year) series and “Squid Game: Unleashed,” will continue to be available via Netflix, Variety has learned.
The studio closure comes as Netflix continues to adjust its gaming strategy under president Alain Tascan, who joined the company in July 2024. The games division, which launched in November 2021, is now focused on party games (a slew of which will be released this holiday season), narrative games, kids games and mainstream games, as well as games played directly on TVs versus mainly mobile titles.
Netflix first began this pivot when it closed its AAA video game studio, known as Team Blue, last October before the developer had released a project.
However, the shuttering of Boss Fight (which was acquired by Netflix in 2022) is still a shock, considering that “Squid Game: Unleashed” had been touted as a very successful title by Netflix upon its release last December, and Netflix continues to emphasize the importance of developing content around its owned IP.
Netflix declined to comment Friday.
“Hi everyone – well, word has gotten around quickly about Boss Fight’s closure,” Boss Fight co-founder and CEO David Rippy said in a statement posted to LinkedIn Thursday. “Thanks, everyone who reached out today. Rough news, for sure, but I’m very grateful for the time we had at Netflix. We worked with some awesome people and made many games that I’m very proud of, including Squid Game Unleased which hit #1 in 26 countries. You’ll see lots of Boss Fighters with similar posts. Please consider them if you have any open roles – they are outstanding people and true professionals through-and-through. As for Bill, Scott and me – we’re going to take a little breather before tackling whatever is next. Love to hear from you if there’s anything interesting going on, workwise or otherwise.”
