Netflix's $840K Bet on AI in Gaming Amid Industry Layoffs

As the videogame industry continues to be hammered by layoffs, Netflix is offering up to $840,000 per year for a new Director of Generative AI for Games

Less than a year after laying off employees at Oxenfree studio Night School, Netflix is putting big cash on the table for someone to do whatever this is. Will Netflix ever actually develop and release its own big-budget videogame? That remains an open question, but it still seems determined to try -- and it sure seems determined to do it using generative AI. The company is now on the hunt for a Los Angeles-based Director of Gen AI for Games, and it's willing to pay an awful lot of money to whoever takes the role. "We're seeking a visionary and pragmatic Head of Gen AI to lead the strategy and application of Gen AI across our games organization," the job listing (via Kotaku) states. "This role sits at the intersection of technology, product, and creativity -- driving how we leverage cutting-edge AI to create meaningful, novel, and scalable experiences for players. "You'll serve as a key partner to our game studios, technology and platform teams, and leadership. Your mandate is to shape and scale our approach to Generative AI, from core capabilities to in-game features to entirely new forms of play, anchored in both what's technically feasible and what's compelling for players." Prospective candidates will need to have at least 10 years experience in the industry, "demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end game development lifecycle, from concept to live operations," along with various other qualifications. In exchange for their service, Netflix is prepared to pay -- along with a comprehensive benefits package -- a salary range of $430,000 - $840,000. I find this help wanted ad particularly interesting in the broader context of Netflix's efforts to muscle in on the videogame business. The company brought on former EA and Facebook executive Mike Verdu as vice president of game development in 2021 and launched its first in-house game studio in 2022. But two years later, the studio closed without even announcing a project, much less releasing one. Shortly after that, Verdu transitioned from VP of games to VP of GenAI for Games; four months after that, he transitioned into a guy who doesn't work at Netflix anymore. And now it wants a new guy. Directors may be cheaper than VPs (emphasis on the "maybe," I really don't know) but even if that's the case, the salary on offer here, especially at the upper range, has not gone unnoticed amidst the seemingly endless deluge of layoffs that have plagued the game industry for years -- which, I must mention, includes cuts at Netflix-owned Night School, the developer of the Oxenfree games, earlier this year. "Sorry, there's just no money for new projects" "we have to lay off hundreds of people to cut costs" "that show/game/studio has been canceled and closed due to lack of profits" -- @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social ( @kendrawcandraw.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-10-03T16:54:29.054Z Netflix wants to pay someone half a million dollars a year to be "director of genAI for games". Your first Unity tutorial project makes you overqualified. -- @coil.bsky.social ( @coil.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-10-03T16:54:29.006Z I am not going to lie - if Netflix wants to pay me half a million a year to tell them that GenAI is a scam and should be avoided this is a service I am willing to provide. I will say it REAL SLOW. -- @willwarmstrong.bsky.social ( @willwarmstrong.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-10-03T16:54:29.123Z Netflix is certainly making no bones about its commitment to generative AI: In May the company said it plans to start showing "AI-generated interactive advertising" in 2026, and in July co-CEO Ted Sarandos gushed about the money and time saved by using generative AI instead of a conventional VFX team in its show The Eternaut, saying, "We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper."

Netflix Will Pay You $840K To Figure Out How Gen AI Can Make Games Better

The person will be responsible for applying 'Gen AI across our portfolio and studios' Netflix's gaming strategy has yet to take clear shape, but generative AI could end up being a big part of it. Or at least that's what the company seems to hope for, based on a recent job posting. The Squid Games and Stranger Things streaming giant is looking to hire a director of generative AI for gaming to potentially lead implementation of the experimental technology across its game studios. They'll be paid up to $840K for the honor. Shared on Bluesky by the comic writer and artist Kendra Wells, the listing describes how this prospective leader within the company's gaming division will "define and lead the Gen AI strategy across Netflix Games, helping to shape foundational infrastructure to player-facing features" and "identify and evaluate opportunities to apply Gen AI across our portfolio and studios both in the creation of new experiences and improving our workflows and pipelines." The position, posted back in September, is onsite in Los Angeles, California and, thanks to state disclosure laws, advertises a salary band of $430,000 to $840,000. Netflix laid off developers at its Oxenfree maker Night School Studio who probably weren't making close to a million each earlier this year. This isn't Netflix's first foray into generative AI gaming. The division's previous boss, Mike Verdu, held the title VP of GenAI for Games until earlier this year when he abruptly left the company. "Many view this technology with fear, but I am a game-maker at heart and I see its potential to unlock all of us, to create mind-blowing new experiences for players, to lift us to new heights," the industry veteran wrote in a 2024 LinkedIn post complete with AI-slop imagery. "Yes, we'll have to adapt and change, but when have we failed to meet that challenge as an industry?" His replacement, former Epic Games exec Alain Tascan, took over in March and said Netflix's evolving gaming strategy would focus on party games, narrative games, and quick mobile adaptations of its hit franchises. Its first Smart TV games are supposed to launch later this year, while Spirit Crossing, a cozy MMO sim that mashes together Animal Crossing and Studio Ghibli vibes, will be the test of whether it can finally deliver a breakout hit. It walked away from its AAA blockbuster gaming ambitions last year. Who knows if this exploration of generative AI-influenced gaming will be just as short-lived?