Some things just don't mix, like oil and water. On a similar note, Netflix and gaming aren't such a good fit for each other, let alone a natural one. But, let it not be said that Netflix listens to its naysayers.
A little over a year after the streaming giant took its gaming venture seriously, it has found a new partner in Ubisoft.
The two companies are, what you call, kindred souls. They're struggling in the face of rising competition. As Disney overtakes Netflix in terms of subscriber count, Ubisoft has fought off a potential takeover after Tencent upped its investment in the company.
Still, both aren't in a good shape financially. Ubisoft is hedging its future on Assassin's Creed, launching Mirage next year and a slew of AAA titles as part of Infinity in 2024 and beyond. In addition to this, Ubisoft is working with Netflix on a live-action Assassin's Creed series and multiple mobile titles.
The first title in the partnership is a sequel to Valiant Hearts scheduled to come out in 2023 with the original developers returning for the sequel. The next one, which will be released in 2023, is a new game in the rogue-lite-inspired hack-and-slash adventure series, The Mighty Quest for Epic Loot. It's possible that Netflix and Ubisoft are working on a mobile game tie-in to the live-action Assassin's Creed series, but we likely won't know for sure for a while.
With Netflix expanding its gaming library to house more than 50 titles before the year ends, partnering with Ubisoft is the right move.
Ubisoft has quietly been arming itself in the gaming space. The streamer has bought such as Boss Fight Entertainment, Next Games, and Night School Studio over the past year. We're curious to find out how these deals will pan out, especially with Ubisoft in tow.
For what it's worth, Netflix's gaming arm isn't doing that bad. People like to paint a bleak picture about how only one percent of Netflix's subscriber base is playing its games, but the numbers are nothing to scoff at. Remember, we're still talking about millions of people who are video games on a platform meant for watching TV shows and movies. If Ubisoft can pad its offerings with quality titles, Netflix might strike gold in time.
