Netflix Won’t Release These Six Previously Planned Games

Netflix has confirmed that it will not go ahead with six games it previously planned to release. A spokesperson for the streaming giant said the six games, including the Lord of the Rings game Tales of the Shire, are no longer coming out for Netflix Games due to a change in strategy.

The spokesperson told What’s On Netflix they aren’t being released as part of “adjusting our portfolio as we learn more about what our members like.”

The six games include:

• Lab Rat (Klei Entertainment)
• Don’t Star Together (Klei Entertainment)
• Rotwood (Klei Entertainment)
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game
• Thirsty Suitors
• Compass Point: West

The announcement that these six games are no longer planned for release comes amid a wider change in strategy for Netflix Games. In 2024, Netflix closed one of its AAA studios, headed up by industry veterans including former Halo boss Joseph Staten. Netflix still has an internal game development studio, Netflix Games Studio, as well as wholly owned external teams such as Night School Studio, Boss Fight Entertainment, and Next Games.

During an earnings call recently, Netflix boss Gregory Peters said Netflix has “plenty more” planned in the video game space, with the aim of launching “bigger and bigger games every year.” Peters acknowledged that Netflix was in the middle of an effort to “refine” its strategy for game launches, which might explain why the six games mentioned here are no longer being released on Netflix.

Going forward, Peters said Netflix will focus on “more narrative games” based on Netflix franchises, while at the same time launching “party and couch co-op games” for your TV delivered from the cloud. Netflix’s main offerings for games currently are on mobile, but the company has–for years now–worked on cloud streaming to beam games directly to your TV or computer.

“We think of this as a successor to family board-game night or an evolution of what the game show on TV used to be. So we’re excited about delivering some cool experiences in that space,” Peter said.