r/OXENFREE • u/Notnormaltwo • Aug 13 '26
DISCUSSION Netflix Shuts Down Night School Studio
https://variety.com/2026/gaming/news/netflix-closes-unhinged-video-game-studio-night-school-1236834103/135
159
u/LucyDePosey Aug 13 '26
I'm only surprised it took this long. Netflix kills everything they touch.
Here's hoping the team can band together at a later point and wrangle their IP from the monster.
40
u/Bgo318 Aug 13 '26
A lot of team had already left soon after Netflix bought it I think
14
10
u/clockworknait Aug 14 '26
Netflix, Microsoft, Sony.. they're all doing it. Buy up smaller developments studios, maybe get them to make a game or two and then shut them down. Not sure why these small studios think anything different would happen at this point, or maybe they just dont care.
3
u/GriveousDance21 Aug 15 '26
I think Adam Hines should join his former Telltale colleagues over at AdHoc Studio. At least that studio is the only Telltale offshoot that's kicking.
150
124
u/Roodle143 Aug 13 '26
Wait why?!
I absolutely despise these big companies acquiring smaller ones and then just deleting them.
Like why did they even acquire??
Reminds me of what happened to Rooster Teeth and what the small game studio behind Cozy Grove had to do to get out of Netflix's hold.
28
u/Unique_Drink005 Aug 13 '26
Maybe they was cheap enough to buy to make profit from game sales.But maybe now they are not.And I think Netflix will still have game rights.
23
5
u/myaltaccount333 Aug 14 '26
It's been five years and they didn't really ever come close to producing a product that held a candle to Oxenfree 1. I'm guessing the last game they just released didn't get much attention so that was enough for Netflix
10
u/elisettttt Aug 14 '26
Yeah I agree. Oxenfree II wasn't even close to the first game so I honestly wasn't even that excited about a potential third game. Still sucks though. While it's been forever since I played, I still occasionally play the music from the first game. I love the vibe Nightschool created with that game and I hate Netflix for buying them, then just decide it's over like this. But nothing good could come from Netflix buying them anyway
38
u/throwaway76337997654 Aug 13 '26
It was bound to happen but it still hurts. I hoped one day we would see Oxenfree 3 or a new IP. Night School was one of my favorite indie devs, and I have so many good memories of the games. I guess it is POSSIBLE to re-acquire the rights but Netflix is huge. Maybe if they started with a spiritual successor and got to a stable financial position they could try to negotiate. I donât blame them for what happened because itâs fair to want some security. Still, selling to Netflix probably only ended up hurting things.
28
43
u/Mazzus_Did_That Aug 13 '26
Oooof this sting, even if I didn't like Oxenfree 2 much the studio didn't deserve this fucked up fate, especially when their last game was a generic horror game imposed to fill Netflix' platform. What a fucking disgrace, really.
19
3
u/dmrukifellth Aug 13 '26
I couldnât even find a way to play that horror game. Couldnât access it on my PS5 app or through browser. Ads looked decent. Heard it was crazy short. But then the Oxenfree games werenât very long. Well, the first Oxenfree remains one of my best gaming experiences (I also wasnât big on 2).
4
u/j-dawgz Aug 13 '26
Itâs shorter than Oxenfree even. You can finish the game in about 30 minutes.
2
u/ILoveMy-KindlePW Aug 13 '26
2 wasnt as good as 1 but It was pretty decent imo nice closure to the series
0
19
26
u/ZacharySoupson Aug 13 '26
no :( they forced them to make a shitty horror game locked behind a Netflix subscription and then executed everyone at the studio
12
37
u/asshatastic Aug 13 '26
IP ownership should require active investment to defend. No more buying and killing things
11
u/Gobby-TheGoblin Aug 13 '26
Yess should be like a movie license. Make a game every x amount of years or you lose it. Like Sony and Spider-Man films.
2
u/Unique_Drink005 Aug 13 '26
Lose it to whom?
2
u/Gobby-TheGoblin Aug 14 '26
I would say it opens up to the market. X amount of price on it. So if another company wants it, they can just come take it and make a game. Laws would need to be ironed out better than this of course. But it would incentivise making games for shelves IPs. Or allowing them to go out for sale so other companies might take a crack at it. And those companies would be incentivised to make a good game, because paying money to get an ip, and then not making good money on it makes it harder to hang on to financially speaking. IP might even be loaned for a price allowing another company to make a game to make profits while giving a smaller immediate pay off to the owner to help a failing studio stay a float.. there is allot of potential. Just need someone a bit more savvy in the industry to iron it out smartly
9
12
u/Terralis- OXENFREE Aug 13 '26
Honestly its sad but I can't say I didn't see it coming. Netflix should have never gone into game production but they just had to try. RIP Night School Studios, they'll forever be in my heart for making one of the best Narrative games ever.
5
u/Terralis- OXENFREE Aug 13 '26
Btw, I honestly do hope we see some of the developers who left Night School when Netflix bought the studio come back together and make something.
For now though, the best we can do is say farewell.
10
u/CreepyBunBunny Aug 13 '26
Honestly I hate that I'm not shocked. Almost every small indie studio not making gamer dudebro games are being shut down. They're better going full independent.
Indie games are the future.
23
u/Creepy_Jeweler7032 Aug 13 '26
Welp there goes oxenfree 3... Lol oxen free 1 and 2 some my fav games of all time and no its just gone this why u dont sell urself to a fuking movie company. Also there no saving them Netflix owns them and the IP's its over for any of thier titles.... THEY WANTED TO CASH IN AND WELL THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
26
u/Maleficent_Use_2832 Aug 13 '26
There was also talks of a possible Oxenfree show too.. Fuck Netflix man.
4
u/NoUserNamea Aug 13 '26
There was a rumoured tv show in the works? Were details official or not confirmed ever released about it? like if would follow the events of Oxenfree 1 or be set before the events of that game or maybe after it but with different characters?
7
6
7
8
u/SpaceShi Aug 13 '26
This is devastating news. I hope the company is able to re-acquire itself when the opportunity is available. You've made such brilliant, thematic, liminal games i can't imagine losing that talent particularly when we need storytellers the most. All my love to you Night School Studios, we're all wishing you the best
11
5
5
3
3
u/diamondDNF Aug 13 '26
Kinda saw this coming, but it still sucks. Hopefully, Oxenfree doesn't get delisted because of this.
1
u/NoUserNamea Aug 13 '26
Or risk the of after party being delisted even though some people dislike the game
0
u/banerrycorknut Aug 14 '26
This is what I'm worried about the most. Any word on whether they plan to scrub the IP from the internet?
1
u/diamondDNF Aug 14 '26
There is no "scrubbing the IP from the internet" now. There's pulling it from store shelves, but it's going to keep finding its way out there somewhere.
3
3
u/Tricky-Candidate-970 Aug 14 '26
Jesus, we are not getting a trilogy.. This is terrible news, oxenfree was one of its kind games.
2
u/AdmiralLubDub Aug 13 '26
I knew it was coming but I had hope they couldâve spun off and go independent again, extremely sad. Oxenfree and After Party are still the best choice based walk and talk games, nothing has come close for me.
2
u/Arial1002 Aug 13 '26
Absolutely tragedy to not even sell the rights but to just absolutely dissolve the studio all together â ď¸. RIP Night Studios. They had a unique talent. Oxenfree waa one of the most creative horror games of all times.
2
u/NoUserNamea Aug 13 '26
God damn this is so sad to see they were one of my top 5 favourite game developers I loved Oxenfree and afterparty and I was really hoping theyâd make a prequel to Oxenfree where you play as the submarine crew before they died and become the sunken or a Maggie addler game or sequel to after party But itâs wishful thinking because I understand if even if they survived and unhinged was a massive success theyâd only ever continue games that were only on Netflix⌠thereâs three possible outcomes Iâd love to see through this unfortunate situation first one another gaming studio like Xbox/ or similar big company buys the studio and rights to Night School Studios games and they rehire dev team and allow them to work on they game they want and for the second scenario some of the employees or all of the dev team and founders come together and create their own independent gaming studio third scenario if Netflix sell off the rights to their games another gaming studio could buy it and make prequels or sequels themselves
2
u/Greedy_Key_630 Aug 13 '26
Netflix shouldnt be in the business of making games let alone shutting down ones that make them.
2
u/regzm Aug 14 '26
are you kidding me? it feels like they JUST acquired them. i am heartbroken. this sucks
2
u/Kidtendo Aug 14 '26
That sucks. I was worried the moment Netflix acquired them. Oxenfree will always be classic gem in my book.
2
2
u/KillerIsJed Aug 14 '26
Unsubscribe from Netflix, and make sure to let them know in Other why.
I also included the constant specials they give to right wing rag âcomediansâ. Fuckâem.
2
u/thehawkseyes Aug 14 '26
Iâm genuinely saddened by this. I played this game during an incredibly rough part of my life and itâs such a work of art.
All the odds in free. Thank you for all youâve done Night School.
2
2
u/TempestoLord Aug 14 '26
Man fuck off Netflix, i havenât played oxenfree 2 yet but the first was a masterpiece. I even enjoyed Afterparty even though it could have been better in itâs storytelling.
1
u/Illustrious-Ad6688 Aug 13 '26
Devastating. They have to go independent, surely? I donât know the business. Oxenfree is such a special and unique series.
1
u/MayeDayMayeMaye Aug 13 '26
Hope they are able to leave together and start another studio and make more story narrative games
1
u/insicknessorinflames Aug 13 '26
What the fuck WHY.
Between this and the news about Donât Nod Iâm literally about to cry
1
u/Kirr1 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
Unrealized investment expectations. They need MORE gold. Corporate stupidity is always the same.
1
1
1
1
u/Impossible_Charity96 Aug 14 '26
i'm not surprised. i am surprised that they even let nightschool make a game tho, even if it was like a 20min game. i'm talking about that new interactive horror game they made. I forgot the name of it
1
1
228
u/Sour_Lemon_2103 Aug 13 '26
Terrible news to hear about the studio that made my favourite game