Former Netflix Games VP Mike Verdu, who has been leading the streamer’s efforts to integrate AI into its games since November, has just left the company.

Verdu is a veteran gaming industry exec who headed up Atari’s studio in the late ’90s and early ’00s before moving on to Zynga as chief creative officer and co-president of games (2009 to 2012) and then Facebook as VP of AR/VR content (2019 to 2021). 

More recently, he played a key role in establishing Netflix’s gaming division, including building an internal game studio that has released more than 100 titles. In November, Verdu moved into a new role as VP of Gen AI games, with a remit to plant a flag for the streamer in the developing AI-powered video game space, working with developers who are using this tech to make games faster and with new capabilities. At the time, former Epic Games EVP Alain Tascan was brought in to replace Verdu as president of the Netflix Games unit, where he is expected to make a few team changes, according to a Netflix spokesperson. 

Netflix has made no secret of its determination to get into the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry, but the company has changed course with this strategy a few times in recent years as it looks for the best market opportunities to focus on. “We’re still learning how to make games a meaningful addition to Netflix memberships,” said the same spokesperson. “We are committed to games, and now have to work on scaling the business.”

This was also touched on in a January letter to shareholders that recapped the streamer’s Q4 2024 financial results: “In games, we’ve learned a lot in our first three years, and we continue to make progress and refine our strategy. Going forward, we’re focusing on offering best-in-class titles in a few key genres, including immersive, narrative games based on our IPs; socially engaging party games; games for kids; and mainstream established titles (like Grand Theft Auto).”

Since launching in 2022, Netflix Games has acquired four development studios. However, it was also quick to shutter internal studio Team Blue when its strategy shifted away from AAA titles to focus instead on the casual gaming market. The division has also tested making its games available on TVs and computers, rather than just mobile devices. And it’s currently prioritizing games based on Netflix IPs including Stranger Things and Squid Game, as well as an Assassin’s Creed game based on the live-action series that Netflix is developing with Ubisoft. 

Signalling its staunch commitment to this part of its business, Netflix is attending this month’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco (March 17 to 21).