Ustwo says Netflix and Apple are ‘not a solid base to build a long term business around.’
Ustwo games, developer of the renowned Monument Valley series, is shifting its focus to becoming a PC-first company, rather than mobile-first, as it has been the case with all three Monument Valley titles.
In an interview with MobileGamer.Biz, ustwo CEO Maria Sayans says the studio is looking to push for independence from unexpected strategy shifts by platforms like Netflix and Apple.
For reference, Monument Valley became a poster child for Apple's digital marketplace back in 2014. Its sequel debuted exclusively on iOS three years later before shuffling onto Android a few months after. Then, in 2024, ustwo decided to partner with Netflix for Monument Valley 3 instead, making for a second (and more significant) collaboration after launching Desta: The Memories Between as a temporary Netflix exclusive in 2022.
Sayans explains that the studio has been "extremely lucky" to be able to make games with both platforms. This, at the time, gave the developer a "lucrative and stable business," as well as a base to build an expansion into other platforms. Now, looking at 2026, it seems that potential is waning.
"(…) ultimately you are one step removed from your audience, and you are dependent on their content strategy, so it is not a solid base to build a long term business around," the CEO says. "So ultimately we needed to wean ourselves off that dependency, by continuing to invest on our own IP, building porting and publishing skills in-house, and strengthening our direct relationship with our audience."
Monument Valley 3 leaving Netflix was a "total surprise" to ustwo
Last year, speaking to Game Developer after the reveal of Monument Valley 3, lead producer John Lau said the decision to renew its partnership with Netflix was due to how much the App Store had changed in the past decade.
According to Lau, Netflix's potential was divided into two primary reasons: a massive existing subscriber base, as video games are part of the regular service, and a landscape that isn't focused on surfacing free-to-play projects and titles that prioritize "high user-acquisition," referring to the App Store.
"It also allows it to stay Monument Valley rather than change its mechanics or do whatever else you need to do to survive in a different [ecosystem]," Lau said. "[The Netflix Games deal is about] trying to make the kind of game we wanted to make, without having to compromise in order for it to survive in the kind of App Store that exists in the modern day."
Yet, Netflix removed Monument Valley 3 from the service six months after launch. According to Sayans, this came "as a total surprise" to the studio, after working with Netflix for a few years developing the title and having a strong marketing campaign behind it.
"A number of games were taken off the service at the same time, so I assume it is related to the evolution of their content strategy and priorities," the CEO says.
Moreover, in relation to what Lau mentioned about the game's design, Sayans explains that there were indeed decisions that were "meant to suit a subscription service" in terms of engagement, retention features, and content update frequency.
Once ustwo learned the game was coming off the service, it took it as an opportunity to redesign the game ending and post launch content "in a way that better suited a premium product."
Sayans argues that in some categories, such as party games, premium mobile is a "healthy business," and wouldn't write off the model completely—especially with options like the "try before you buy" model. Yet, it's "not enough of a market" to justify significant development budget, so developers should see it as one of their platforms rather than the only one.
Meanwhile, recent years has seen Netflix losing more video game talent than just ustwo. In October 2024, the company shuttered its Southern Californian AAA game studio Team Blue after less than two years of operation. In February of last year, it laid off an undisclosed number of staff at Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, which the streaming giant acquired back in 2021. Then, just last month, the company sold Spry Fox back to its founders.