Netflix has been making significant adjustments to its gaming lineup, and recent announcements have left fans both excited and disappointed. The streaming giant unveiled its upcoming slate of shows and games for the year, but a few anticipated titles were conspicuously absent. Notably, Netflix Games has decided to drop several previously announced mobile games, including the much-anticipated Don't Starve Together.
Six Games Missing from Netflix's Lineup
Netflix has removed six games from its mobile gaming portfolio: Don't Starve Together, Tales of the Shire, Compass Point: West, Lab Rat, Rotwood, and Thirsty Suitors. This decision reflects Netflix's ongoing efforts to refine its gaming offerings. It's not the first time they've made such a move; Crashlands 2 was another title that was pulled from their lineup, even after beta testing had commenced in some regions.
This shift in strategy indicates Netflix's focus on narrative-driven games and titles that tie into their popular shows and movies, moving away from indie games. For instance, Netflix Stories is set to expand with popular series like Ginny & Georgia and Sweet Magnolias this year.
What About the Promised Games?
For fans eagerly awaiting Don't Starve Together, there's still hope, albeit not through Netflix. Originally announced in June 2024 as part of a trio of games from Klei Entertainment coming to Netflix, Don't Starve Together is now being ported to mobile by Playdigious. Similarly, Lab Rat and Rotwood, the other two Klei titles, have been dropped from Netflix's plans, though Rotwood remains available in early access on Steam.
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game, a cozy life simulation game, faced a delay from its planned fall 2024 release to early 2025, and it's no longer associated with Netflix, as evidenced by the removal of the Netflix Games logo from its website.
Compass Point: West, developed by Next Games—a studio owned by Netflix—was among the first titles announced for the platform, making its cancellation particularly surprising.
Lastly, Thirsty Suitors, a stylish, story-driven RPG from Outerloop Games and published by Annapurna Interactive, was intended for mobile via Netflix but has now been excluded.
While these cancellations may be disappointing, fans can still explore other offerings from Netflix Games on the Google Play Store. For more on Netflix's evolving gaming strategy, keep an eye on updates about Netflix Stories adding Ginny & Georgia and Sweet Magnolias later this year.
