Picture Credits: Tales of the Shire, Klei Entertainment, Annapurna Interactive, Next Games
Netflix Games has undergone significant changes over the past six months. One part of that shift is with the streamer readjusting its slate of upcoming games. As a result, some previously announced titles will no longer be available on the service, and we can confirm six titles that are no longer heading to the service.
Let’s run through the games that are no longer getting Netflix mobile releases:
- Compass Point: West – Developed by Next Games (an internal Netflix Game Studio), this was one of the first-ever titles announced to be coming to the library, although those plans have been shelved.
- Don’t Starve Together – First released in 2016, this would’ve marked the first time the co-op survival game would’ve been available on mobile platforms. It was one of three games announced to be coming from Klei Entertainment in June 2024, although, as we’ll get to it, none will eventually make the jump.
- Lab Rat – Another of the Klei Entertainment games announced to be coming was this indie puzzler from Chump Squad. The game remains available on other platforms.
- Rotwood – The third and final Klei Entertainment game no longer hitting Netflix is Rotwood, an action beat-em-up game. It remains available exclusively on Steam in early access.
- Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game – Initially scheduled to hit Netflix among other platforms in the fall of 2024, the game was eventually delayed to early 2025. The website was also updated to no longer include the Netflix Games logo but will still be released on PS5, Xbox, the Nintendo Switch, and Steam.
- Thirsty Suitors – Announced to be coming to Netflix in June 2024, this positively reviewed story-driven RPG will no longer get a release. Outerloop Games developed the release available on other platforms with Annapurna Interactive publishing.
A Netflix representative confirmed that these games were no longer planned for release, stating that they were “part of adjusting our portfolio as we learn more about what our members like.”
These aren’t the first games publicly announced and confirmed to be no longer coming. We recently learned that Crashlands 2 wouldn’t be released, and despite some beta testing in a handful of regions, Placid Plastic Duck will also not be released on Netflix Games.
As mentioned, this is part of a broader shift as Netflix refines its plans for Netflix Games. Last year, a major AAA game studio called Codename Blue was shut down. In December, a slew of mobile game servers were permanently shut down and/or removed from the Netflix application entirely, including Vikings: Valhalla, Desta: The Memories Between, Mighty Quest Rogue Palace, Shovel Knight: Pocket Dungeon, and Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story.
Where is Netflix Games headed, then? In a recent earnings call, Netflix’s co-CEO Greg Peters stated that the company would focus more on narrative-driven games (see Netflix Stories, which is getting a Sweet Magnolias entry soon), party games, kids titles, and other games focused on known IP. They also said they’d be gunning for mainstream popular titles like Grand Theft Auto.
Squid Game: Unleashed is perhaps the model game for Netflix in the future. Perfectly timed to compliment the show’s new season arrival on Netflix and appeals to a broad audience. That game now has millions of downloads and has an active community on Discord of budding players.
Are you disappointed that any of the games listed above are no longer available on Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.
