Netflix announced last month the opening of a second mobile game studio in Helsinki, Finland, as the entertainment company pushes further into gaming. Marko Lastikka, a gaming veteran, is serving as the studio director for the new Netflix Gaming studio. Game veteran Mike Verdu started the Netflix Gaming expansion in mid-2021 as part of a plan to offer more entertainment to Netflix’s subscribers.
Amir Rahimi, vice president of game studios at Netflix, said Netflix chose Helsinki, where it has already acquired the mobile game studio Next Games “because it is home to some of the best game talents in the world” – studios such as Supercell and Rovio.
Netflix also recently added ex-Overwatch executive producer Chacko Sonny to the list of gaming veterans joining Netflix’s fifth studio, located in Southern California. Netflix says it’s also considering launching a cloud gaming service – with its business model “differing from Stadia”. Now, Netflix has acquired its sixth gaming studio, buying indie game studio Spry Fox in Seattle.
Spry Fox is an award-winning independent studio focused on cozy, original games. Their unique approach to game development and success with titles like Triple Town, Alphabear, and Cozy Grove will supposedly help accelerate Netflix’s creative development in another genre and add to the “growing variety of Netflix’s games catalog that will have something for everyone”.
