Netflix will delist just about all of its interactive shows and films as of December 1st, the company confirms to The Verge. Netflix’s “Interactive Specials” page lists 24 titles, but only four will remain: Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, and You vs. Wild.
The removal of the titles marks a disappointing conclusion to Netflix’s earliest efforts into interactive content. The company first launched the interactive titles in 2017 with Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale, and I remember being wowed (and horrified) by paths in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.
In addition to specials based on franchises like Carmen Sandiego and Boss Baby, Netflix also tried ideas like a daily trivia series and a trivia game you could play with a friend. But the relatively few titles available suggests the format wasn’t much of a hit — Puss in Book has apparently been gone for a while.
“The technology served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas,” spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher says.
The removals also follow former Netflix gaming boss Mike Verdu — who just announced that he’s a VP of “GenAI for Games” at Netflix — telling Game File’s Stephen Totilo that the company wasn’t building interactive titles anymore.
The delistings are yet another example of Netflix struggling to find its footing in gaming. While Netflix has a robust slate of mobile titles (that are increasingly based on its own reality TV shows), the company recently shut down its AAA game studio before it released a game. And Netflix’s game streaming beta is still in testing despite expanding to the US more than a year ago.
Update November 4th: Added Mike Verdu’s earlier confirmation that Netflix stopped making interactive content.