Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ mobile game studio

Netflix has shut down Boss Fight Entertainment, the studio behind the popular mobile game based on the ‘Squid Game’ franchise.

The two games that the developer released for the streamer, the ‘Netflix Stories’ series (which had already stopped releasing new titles earlier this year) and ‘Squid Game: Unleashed’, will remain available through Netflix.

The studio’s closure comes as Netflix continues to adapt its gaming strategy under president Alain Tascan, who joined the company in July 2024. The games division, which launched in November 2021, now focuses on party games (a slew of which will be released this holiday season), narrative games, kids’ games and mainstream games, as well as games that play directly on TV rather than primarily mobile titles.

The cancellation of Boss Fight is still a shock, however, as ‘Squid Game: Unleashed’ was touted by Netflix as a highly successful title upon its release last December, and Netflix continues to emphasize the importance of developing content around its own IP.

“Hello everyone – well, news of Boss Fight’s closure has spread quickly,” Boss Fight co-founder and CEO David Rippy said in a statement posted on LinkedIn on Thursday. “Thank you, everyone who reached out today. Rough news, sure, but I’m very grateful for the time we had at Netflix. We’ve worked with some great people and created a lot of games that I’m very proud of, including Squid Game Unleased, which was number 1 in 26 countries. You’ll see a lot of Boss Fighters with similar messages. Please consider them if you have an open role – they’re excellent people and true professionals through and through by. As for Bill, Scott and me, we’re going to first take a breather and tackle what comes next. I’d love to hear from you if there’s anything interesting going on, work-wise or otherwise.”