Picture: NEXT GAMES / Netflix
One of Netflix’s earliest game additions and one of its own internal studio games is set to shut down and leave Netflix in December 2024. The game, which is based on one of Netflix’s biggest ongoing shows, will be permanently closed down, and all data will be deleted.
For those unfamiliar, Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales is one of several games currently in the Netflix mobile game library based on Stranger Things. It’s a mobile match-3 puzzle game mixed with RPG elements. The game’s basic premise is that you match gems to power up heroes like Eleven from the show to defeat monsters. It’s much deeper than that, however, with progress ultimately seeing you join clans to defeat even bigger monsters with your friends. The game existed outside of Netflix Games for many years before the previous iteration was shut down and incorporated into Netflix’s Game library with some major tweaks, most notably the removal of all advertisements and microtransactions. The game has also received regular updates.
The game is now set to leave Netflix Games on December 13th and be shut down permanently. In a slew of FAQs released on the Netflix Games help site, they confirm that the game is permanently shutting down. Answering why the game is closing down, the studio says:
“After careful consideration and an evaluation of the game’s long-term sustainability, we’ve made the difficult decision to shut down the game. While this wasn’t an easy choice, we believe it’s the right time. We want to express our deepest gratitude for your support over the years and are committed to making these final months as enjoyable as possible for all players.”
Going on to explain what will happen to all your progress, the FAQs state:
“The game will remain available until December 13, 2024, at 20:00 UTC, after which the servers will be shut down. Players will be able to access the game until this date, but after the shutdown, all game content, progress, and accounts will be deleted.”
Picture: Next Games / Netflix
This is the fourth major game announced to be departing Netflix Games in December 2024. As we’ve previously covered, two of the three Grand Theft Auto games that landed on Netflix in December 2023 will depart after only a year, with those being GTA III and GTA Vice City Definitive Editions. We’ll also see a smaller puzzle game, Dominoes Cafe, depart earlier in the month. The news comes as we understand that Netflix’s Game library (now well over 100 titles) will be a rotating library instead of a fixed library of mobile titles. In the case of the GTA games, they’ll be available outside of Netflix, although what will happen to Dominoes Cafe is unclear.
Next Games isn’t closing down; instead, it is working on new projects, although what exactly is unclear. Another FAQ entry states, “While this game is ending, our team will continue working on future projects. Follow our official channels and website for the latest news about upcoming games. We hope you’ll continue to be part of our community.”
Are you sad that Netflix is shutting down Stranger Things: Puzzle Tales on December 13th, 2024? Let us know in the comments.