Netflix has announced that it has acquired Night School Studio, developer of critically acclaimed Oxenfree.
When Netflix announced its venture into games not that long ago, the idea of Netflix acquiring game studios didn’t honestly come to mind. It seems so obvious now, of course, Netflix would be looking to buy up studios to create more content for its gaming venture. It seems with Night School Studio joining the Netflix team this may be just the beginning of what’s to come as noted, the Oxenfree studio is Netflix’s first game studio acquisition
“We’re inspired by their bold mission to set a new bar for storytelling in games. Their commitment to artistic excellence and proven track record make them invaluable partners as we build out the creative capabilities and library of Netflix games together,” Netflix Game Development vice president, Mike Verdu said in a press release.
With the Netflix gaming news, the developer has released its own statement in conjunction with its new parent company. Night School Studio founder and creative director, Sean Krankel says their still planning to developing Oxenfree II and adds that “the Netflix team has shown the utmost care for protecting our studio culture and creative vision.”
“It’s a surreal honour to be the first games studio to join Netflix! Not only do we get to keep doing what we do, how we like to do it, but we get a front-row seat on the biggest entertainment platform in the world. We’ll keep making Oxenfree II. We’ll keep cooking up new game worlds,” Sean Krankel said in a statement on the studio’s website.
Just like Netflix’s films and show offerings, Netflix Games will be included in every Netflix subscriber membership which will include no ads and no in-app purchases. The expected launch of Netflix Games is set to happen sometime in early 2022. While not stated, it’s worth noting as this is just speculation, with Netflix now owning Night School Studio, a live-action Oxenfree film or series could be a possible project in the works.
Oxenfree initially launched PC and Xbox One in January 2016 with other platforms like PS4, Switch and mobile following. Its sequel, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals takes place five years after the original game and is launching on PC, PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2022.
