Netflix Stories Cancelled to Focus on New Games Strategy – Streaming Update

Netflix has decided to cancel its Netflix Stories interactive fiction IP to focus on a new games strategy, the streaming firm confirmed. This means that fan-favorite narrative-driven titles like Love is Blind, Perfect Match, and Virgin River will no longer be available on the Netflix Stories app. However, if you’ve already downloaded the app, you can still enjoy the previously released content.

According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, the Netflix Stories app racked up an impressive 6.9 million downloads, making it one of Netflix’s top-performing titles. To put that in context, Too Hot To Handle: Love Is a Game had 8.2 million installs, while GTA: San Andreas topped the charts with a whopping 36 million downloads, followed closely by Squid Game: Unleashed at 20 million.

Even though Netflix is moving away from Netflix Stories, they are staying in the interactive fiction space. They recently partnered with Series Entertainment and Pixelberry for Single’s Inferno: Choices, a game currently in soft launch in the Philippines.

The shift in strategy comes as Netflix focuses on reaching more audiences and exploring new types of games under the leadership of President Alain Tascan. In a recent statement, Vice President Jeet Shroff highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation and maximizing its gaming platform’s potential. Tascan emphasized the importance of focusing on narratives, party games, content for kids, and attracting mainstream audiences as key areas for growth in Netflix’s gaming division.