Netflix acquires avatar startup to enable unified identities across gaming platform
Gadgets Now December 27, 2025 08:40 PM
The acquisition will see Netflix leverage Ready Player Me's technology to build infrastructure allowing users to transfer their "personas and fandom" between different gaming titles. This development represents Netflix's growing emphasis on games optimized for television viewing, moving beyond its initial mobile-only gaming offerings.
The deal brings approximately 20 Ready Player Me employees to Netflix, according to TechCrunch. While the startup had four co-founders, only Chief Technology Officer Rainer Selvet is joining the streaming company. Netflix has yet to announce when the avatar system will debut or which games will first support the feature.
Financial terms remain undisclosed, though Ready Player Me had previously secured $72 million in funding from backers including a16z and the founders of Roblox and Twitch. The startup will cease operations on January 31, 2026, including shutting down PlayerZero, its standalone avatar creation platform.
Ready Player Me CEO Timmu Toke said,
"Our vision has always been to enable avatars and identities to travel across many games and virtual worlds. We've been on an independent path to make that vision a reality for a long time. I'm now very excited for the Ready Player Me team to join Netflix to scale our tech and expertise to a global audience and contribute to the exciting vision Netflix has for gaming."
Netflix shifting gaming strategy from mobile to TV
The purchase reflects Netflix's evolving gaming strategy since entering the space four years ago with mobile titles accessible through subscriber accounts. The company initially treated gaming as another content category alongside original films, animation, and unscripted programming.
Under former VP of games Mike Verdu, who brought experience from EA and Kabam, Netflix purchased multiple studios and licensed various titles with inconsistent results. While high-profile releases like GTA: San Andreas attracted attention, many offerings went largely unnoticed. The company has since removed the GTA title along with dozens of others and closed or returned several acquired studios to their original founders.
Netflix brought in Alain Tascan, previously of Epic Games, as president of games last year to lead a strategic realignment. Verdu, who had transitioned to leading generative AI for games, departed seven months later. Under Tascan's leadership, Netflix has expanded TV gaming options while concentrating on party games, children's titles, narrative-driven experiences, and mainstream franchises.
Recent releases include TV and mobile party games such as Netflix Puzzled, PAW Patrol Academy, WWE 2K25, Red Dead Redemption, and Best Guess—a live party game hosted by Hunter March and Howie Mandel featuring a $1 million prize. The company also announced this week that a new FIFA game will launch on television platforms ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
