Chacko Sonny: Last News

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Netflix has shut down its Southern California-based video game studio, referred to internally as “Team Blue,” which had a specific focus on producing AAA games. The studio, one of several opened by the streamer during its still-young push into gaming, tapped execs including “Overwatch” producer Chacko Sonny, “Halo” alum Joseph Staten and “God of War” art director Rafael Grassetti.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix is continuing its push to bring out a diverse set of games — ranging from casual puzzle titles to AAA games — included for no extra cost with its streaming plans, on the theory that it will help drive up and retain subscribers. Since bowing its first games globally in November 2021, the company has released 55 games. About 40 more are slated for later this year, which would bring the lineup to 95. In addition, Netflix Games has around 70 titles in development with partners, plus 16 games currently being developed by its in-house game studios, which include one in Southern California built around Chacko Sonny, the former Activision Blizzard executive producer behind “Overwatch.”

Netflix has announced that it will be launching a new game development studio which will be led by Overwatch executive producer, Chacko Sonny.During the TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 event yesterday (October 18), Netflix’s vice president of games Mike Verdu shared the news of the new California studio, which is currently unnamed (via VGC).“We are starting another organic new studio in Southern California, this time around Chacko Sonny, who oversaw production on God of War Ascension for Santa Monica and oversaw a portfolio of their games, and then was executive producer of a little game franchise called Overwatch,” Verdu said.“He could have gone anywhere, he could have raised money, he could have done anything and he chose to come here. We are building a team around him and looking to him to reinvent what games can be.”Chacko Sonny left Blizzard Entertainment in September 2021 in order “to take some time off.” He worked at the company for five years from 2016 but didn’t become an executive producer on the Overwatch franchise until 2018.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Netflix is just over a year into its active push into games — and it’s doubling down on the strategy. Netflix’s VP of games Mike Verdu, speaking at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2022 conference Tuesday, announced that the streamer was “seriously exploring” introducing a cloud gaming offering to be able to extend its catalog of games to be playable on TVs and PCs. “We’re going to approach this the same way we did with mobile, which is start small, be humble, be thoughtful, and then build out,” he said at the event. “But it is a step we think we should take to meet members where they are, on the devices where they consume Netflix.”