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Netflix's Generative AI Gaming VP Mike Verdu Departs After Five Months in Role

Verdu, who led Netflix's gaming initiatives since 2021, leaves amidst leadership changes and strategic shifts in the company's gaming division.

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Vice President, Games at Netflix Mike Verdu speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 on October 18, 2022 in San Francisco, California
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Overview

  • Mike Verdu, Netflix's first gaming division head and VP of Generative AI for games, has left the company after just five months in his latest role.
  • Verdu initially joined Netflix in 2021 to spearhead its gaming expansion, overseeing the release of over 100 mobile games and the acquisition of multiple game studios.
  • Netflix's gaming division has undergone significant restructuring, including the closure of its AAA studio Team Blue and layoffs at Oxenfree developer Night School Studio.
  • The company has shifted its gaming focus to narrative-driven mobile games and co-op party games based on Netflix IP, moving away from AAA game development.
  • Netflix executives, including current gaming head Alain Tascan, are expected to outline the company's future gaming strategy at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.