Netflix has shut down Boss Fight Entertainment, the studio that created the hit mobile game based on the “Squid Game” series.
Two games the developer has released for the streamer, the Netflix Stories series (which had already stopped releasing new games earlier this year) and Squid Game: Unleashed, will continue to be available via Netflix, Variety reported.
The studio’s closure comes as Netflix continues to adjust its gaming strategy under president Alan Tuscan, who joined the company in July 2024. Launched in November 2021, the games division currently focuses on party games (many of which will be released this holiday season), narrative games, children’s games, mainstream games, as well as games played directly on TV rather than primarily mobile titles.
Netflix first began this shift last October when it shut down a AAA video game studio known as Team Blue before the developers could release their projects.
However, the closure of Boss Fight (which was acquired by Netflix in 2022) remains a shock considering that Squid Game: Unleashed was touted as a hugely successful title by Netflix upon its release last December, and Netflix continues to emphasize the importance of developing content around its own IP.
Netflix declined to comment Friday.
“Hello everyone. Word of Boss Fight’s closure spread quickly,” Boss Fight co-founder and CEO David Rippy said in a statement posted on LinkedIn on Thursday. “Thank you to everyone who reached out to us today. It’s certainly rough news, but we’re so grateful for the time we spent at Netflix. We worked with amazing people to help Squid Game reach #1 in 26 countries. We’ve made a number of games that I’m very proud of, including Unleased. There will be many boss fighters with similar positions to consider if you have one available. As for Bill, Scott, and I, we’re going to continue to work on whatever comes next. If you have something interesting going on, professionally or otherwise, we’d love to hear from you. ”
