As a seasoned gamer and after more than a decade-long journey with Obsidian Entertainment, I, Carrie Patel, have bid farewell to my role as game director for Avowed. Instead, I’m embarking on a fresh adventure, accepting a similar position at Night School Studio – the innovative developers behind the captivating Oxenfree games, now under the wing of Netflix.
In a concise update shared on LinkedIn, Insider Gaming reported that Patel announced her move into a fresh role as the Game Director at Night School, which is a studio under Netflix’s gaming division.
Established back in 2014, Night School Studio initially gained recognition through its critically acclaimed debut title Oxenfree (released in 2016), a captivating supernatural adventure. In 2021, Netflix made the strategic move of acquiring this independent studio, marking it as Netflix’s inaugural studio purchase. This acquisition placed Night School Studio on the map within the gaming industry, hinting at its potential to make a significant impact—particularly in the mid-tier, beloved indie scene.
Despite my initial enthusiasm, it seems Netflix’s foray into gaming hasn’t quite panned out as planned. In the past few years, it appears Netflix has scaled back its gaming aspirations significantly. For instance, their studio focused on creating “the next big thing in gaming” was shut down in October 2024. Just a month later, Mike Verdu, Netflix’s Vice President of Games, switched roles to become the Vice President of Generative AI in Games. And then, four months after that, he left the company altogether.
In February 2025, Night School experienced some job reductions, but a representative from Netflix stated then that only a minimal number of staff members were affected, and their overall plan for the studio, regardless of what it entails, stayed consistent.
From my personal gaming perspective, I’ve had an extensive journey at Obsidian Entertainment, one that many might envy. Before stepping up as director and narrative designer for the highly acclaimed Avowed, I was deeply involved in the narrative design for Pillars of Eternity and The Outer Worlds. Moreover, I had the privilege of leading the narrative design (alongside Obsidian veteran Josh Sawyer) for Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire.
It might seem surprising that Patel is switching from Netflix to Night School, and for now we can only guess: With its vast financial resources, Netflix could certainly lure big-name talent, but it’s equally plausible that Patel is drawn to the opportunity to work creatively with a smaller team at Night School. Patel has not disclosed her motivations behind the move or her planned projects at Night School, and Night School confirmed that Patel has joined them as a game director without revealing any additional details.
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2025-05-20 23:02