Netflix To Add Playable Games Next Year

By Ana Dascalescu

Posted on May 25, 2021

The streaming giant might become the next major game giant as well, if these new reports are to be believed.

Outlets like Reuters, Axios and The Information are saying that, come 2022, Netflix will start competing with Nvidia, Microsoft, Google and Apple for a slice of the gaming pie.

Netflix Gaming is still in the early stages of planning, apparently, and actively searching for an executive to lead the new division.

Netflix Gaming might look a lot like Apple Arcade, which offers a collection of games you can pay for and download, but Axios says that collection will be a lot more limited and curated.

Right now, all reports are saying that Netflix games will not have ads and they will be third-party titles. That means that no, Netflix won’t be making games of their own, at least not initially.

Though the company has experimented in the past with more interactive content (Black Mirror: Bandersnatch pictured above), they will now be focusing on licensing games from others.

The Information also notes that “the company has already dabbled in games” and that it has already made a game based on Stranger Things, working with an outside developer.

Netflix has not confirmed their intent to launch a Netflix Gaming service in 2022 but they didn’t deny it either.

“Our members value the variety and quality of our content. It’s why we’ve continually expanded our offering — from series to documentaries, film, local language originals and reality TV. Members also enjoy engaging more directly with stories they love — through interactive shows like Bandersnatch and You v. Wild, or games based on Stranger Things, La Casa de Papel and To All the Boys.

So we’re excited to do more with interactive entertainment,” said the company in a statement published by Polygon.