Former Head of Netflix Games Departs the Company
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- Former Head of Netflix Games Mike Verdu officially departed the company.
- Mike Verdu was VP of Generative AI for games.
- The news was revealed via a Game File newsletter.
The former head of Netflix Games, Mike Verdu, departed Netflix. As of March 12, the official reason for leaving the company has not been revealed. Mike Verdu’s departure was publicly reported via Games Files newsletter. Prior to exit, the executive was in charge of the Generative AI department for games.
His role was focused on utilizing generative AI to drive a once in a generation “inflection point for game development and player experiences.” Verdu’s goal for the department prioritized creator-first, placing the talent at the center with AI serving as an accelerant. It is currently unclear whether Verdu was able to accomplish his mission during his tenure.
Before his departure, Mike Verdu held various leadership roles in Netflix Games. Most notably, he was the first head of Netflix gaming, helping build the foundations for the streaming platform’s gaming services.
His work included the creation of an internal game studio, while simultaneously establishing a publishing organization, eventually moving onto GenAI, serving as Netflix’s VP for the department.
The state of Netlfix’s Gen AI is unclear, but Netflix’s gaming division as a whole has faced mass layoffs. They also closed their in-house AAA development team, Team Blue, in 2024.
