Refractor Studios, the developer behind Netflix's FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, has reportedly shut down its operations approximately eight weeks after the game's release. Employees announced on LinkedIn that they have been laid off, with several attributing the studio's closure to its part-owner, Delphi Interactive, pulling funding.
Delphi Interactive, a company that licenses intellectual property and assists in game development, was a co-owner of the Los Angeles-based Refractor Studios. According to posts from multiple Refractor employees on LinkedIn, Delphi withdrew its financial support, leading to the studio's closure and the dismissal of its entire development team.
Despite what appears to be a sudden shutdown, Netflix stated in July that FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition was a "top-tier" performer and one of the streaming service's most successful game launches. The game was made available exclusively through Netflix's streaming games platform on June 11.
Art director Barclay Chantel posted on LinkedIn that Delphi "pulled the plug on Refactor Studios right after we shipped the FIFA World Cup game for Netflix." Full stack developer Nathan Potter echoed this sentiment, stating that the "entire development team has been laid off" after the parent company pulled its funding. Both individuals are now seeking new opportunities in game development or full-stack engineering.
Delphi Interactive's website describes its mission as "redefining how AAA games are made." However, the reported actions of ending operations and laying off staff shortly after a game launch, even one described as successful by the publisher, appear to contradict this stated ambition, aligning instead with common industry practices of publisher-developer relations.