Netflix Shuts Down Studio Behind Squid Game: Unleashed
GeokHub
Contributing Writer
Netflix has quietly closed Boss Fight Entertainment, the game studio responsible for Squid Game: Unleashed. The move marks a notable shift in Netflix’s game strategy, as the company refocuses its resources on other types of interactive experiences.
The shutdown was confirmed via LinkedIn posts from Boss Fight’s co-founders. David Rippy described the moment as “rough news,” expressing gratitude for the time spent with Netflix. David Luehmann, director of game development at the studio, added that after more than a decade at Boss Fight—several years under Netflix—the moment had come to close the studio.
Though the studio is gone, its games “Squid Game: Unleashed” and “Netflix Stories” will remain available to players.
Netflix acquired Boss Fight in 2022 in a bid to accelerate its entry into gaming. At the time, the studio was expected to develop high-quality, narrative-driven games that tied closely to Netflix’s original shows. But over time, Netflix’s gaming leadership recalibrated that vision.
Under Alain Tascan, Netflix’s gaming arm is shifting toward party games, narrative experiences, kids’ titles, and mainstream casual games — genres seen as lower risk and more accessible. Squid Game: Unleashed, which had been held up as a flagship narrative game, was repeatedly cited by Netflix leadership in earnings calls as an example of the kind of content they hoped to replicate.
Analysts say the closure suggests Netflix is folding back its ambitions in mobile games and refocusing on genres that more directly support its streaming core and broader interactive plans.
Looking Forward
The closing of Boss Fight is one in a string of adjustments Netflix has made in its gaming division. Earlier, it shuttered its AAA game studio before it launched any titles. The company now appears to favor leaner, scalable game models that depend more on partnerships, licensing, or smaller internal teams.
For viewers and gaming fans, the big question now is: Will Netflix produce new games tied to hit shows? Or will it outsource far more of that work, focusing its internal efforts on game ideas that require less heavy investment?
Only time will show whether this move helps Netflix sharpen its gaming arm — or signals that its next chapter lies less in building games from scratch and more in curating them.
