Having already acquired Night School Studio in September 2021, Netflix has announced yet another game studio acquisition this week as the firm becomes more serious about games.

The studio in question this time around is Finland’s Next Games, which develops mobile games. The games the studio creates appear to be tied to popular franchises such as The Walking Dead and Stranger Things.

“While we’re just getting started in games, I am confident that together with Next Games, we will be able to build a portfolio of world class games – with no ads and no in-app purchases – that will delight our members around the world,” Netflix’s vice president of games, Mike Verdu said in a statement.

As part of the acquisition, Next Games shareholders will receive €2.10 in cash per share for a total value of approximately €65 million. The acquisition is subject to closing conditions but it is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of 2022.

“Joining forces with the world’s largest streaming service, Netflix, presents an opportunity for a logical and exciting continuation of our strategy to craft interactive experiences for the world to enjoy. Our close collaboration with Netflix on Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales has already proven that together we create a strong partnership. This is a unique opportunity to level-up the studio on all fronts and continue on our mission together,” says chief executive officer at Next Games, Teemu Huuhtanen.

Netflix has expanded the number of games that can be accessed via its mobile app. All the games there can be played for free – provided you have a Netflix subscription and we’re sure bringing Next Games into the fold will expand that catalogue even further.