- Netflix shut down its Southern California AAA studio, Team Blue.
- Key figures like Joseph Staten, Chacko Sonny, and Rafael Grassetti have left following the closure.
- While AAA efforts falter, Netflix has a strong gaming lineup.
As reported by multiple sources, Netflix has reportedly shut down its Southern California-based AAA gaming studio Team Blue. This move undoubtedly marks a setback in the gaming ambitions of the digital streaming giant on a larger scale, although the platform continues to dish out a good collection of games on the small screen.
Netflix’s ambitions take a hit with AAA studio closure, although the mobile games lineup is promising
Team Blue was created as part of Netflix’s plan to go beyond mobile games and develop a multi-platform AAA game with a brand-new original IP. However, the studio never completed a single title before being shut down. The ambition was quite high as Netflix had roped in some major industry veterans as part of the plan.
The shutdown also contributed to a few departures of notable names from their posts, including Joseph Staten, who joined the team as Creative Director in April last year, Chacko Sonny, who was handed the keys to run the studio, and Rafael Grassetti of God of War fame. The closure begs the question of what remains for Netflix in AAA game development.
Despite Netflix’s efforts at beefing up its gaming portfolio with more than 100 titles, including partnerships on interactive stories based on hit shows such as Squid Game and Too Hot to Handle, the shutdown of Team Blue shows how hard it is for the company to expand beyond mobile games.
Well, on the brighter side, Netflix continues to bring in impressive games and in quite large numbers. Crashlands 2, Tales of the Shire, Civilization VI, Rebel Moon-based Blood Line, and Carmen Sandiego are a few of those names that are arriving across multiple platforms, which are ambitious and bank on a strong IP.
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