Amid Netflix’s proposed buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery, the streaming platform has made another big business move, acquiring a gaming startup amid the company’s push further into games.
Netflix has paid an unspecified sum for Estonia-based Ready Player Me, a company that builds the technology used to create gaming assets that are available across different titles.
“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,” CEO Timmu Tõke said.
Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch that Ready Player Me’s team of 20 people will join Netflix, but only one of the executives, CTO Rainer Selvet, is shifting to Netflix. There continue to be many unknowns about the deal, too, like when gaming avatars will come to Netflix or which titles will be supported.
As a result of the buyout, Ready Player Me also announced that it will close its own services on January 31, 2026, and this includes the company’s avatar-maker tool, PlayerZero.
Ready Player Me sells products and services to developers for avatars that work across multiple different titles. The company points out in its business plan that every game is different, including game engines, devices, and art styles, and it sells the tools that developers can use to handle compatibility in these environments. Ready Player Me counts companies like Ubisoft, Lenovo, and Nvidia among its clients.
Netflix has always said its investments in gaming were experimental in nature, as the company looked to find what worked best. This has led to a rocky road, as Netflix cut back on its AAA game plans and is now focusing more on mobile and party-focused games. In July, Netflix announced it would “ramp up” its gaming efforts.
Netflix recently announced a blockbuster deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery and take ownership of many of the company’s entertainment assets, including its games portfolio, but not the entire company. Rival Paramount is going straight to shareholders with its own offer, which includes more money and a proposal to buy the entirety of the company.
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