Netflix shuts Night School and Moonloot game studios
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Netflix is closing Night School Studio and Moonloot Games as it shifts its games strategy towards party titles and games streamed to televisions. The decision affects the developer behind the Oxenfree series and further reduces Netflix’s earlier focus on mobile games and prestige independent releases.
Netflix acquired Night School in 2021, while Helsinki-based Moonloot was founded in 2022. It will also remove an unspecified number of other games roles, including its sole accessibility specialist; the closures follow the shutdown of a Squid Game studio last year, the sale of Spry Fox back to its founders, and the 2024 closure of an unreleased AAA studio.
- Netflix closes Night School and Moonloot Games
- Strategy shifts towards television-based party games
- Further games roles will also be cut
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Netflix began offering games to subscribers in 2021, initially focusing largely on mobile titles available through its app. It also bought or backed smaller studios to develop exclusive games, including Night School Studio, known for the story-led supernatural series Oxenfree.
The company has since reviewed how games fit into its wider entertainment business. It has experimented with games linked to its own programmes, while also looking at titles that can be played together and streamed directly to television screens.
The change matters because it shows Netflix is narrowing its approach after investing in several types of game development. Studio closures and job cuts can affect future projects, while also indicating which kinds of games Netflix expects to prioritise for its subscribers.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Netflix is closing two game studios”.