In 2023, Netflix reported a significant surge in user engagement with its gaming offerings, with engagement tripling over the year. While acknowledging that the gaming segment is still relatively small compared to its film and series business, Netflix expressed satisfaction with the progress made. The addition of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy to the service in December 2023 was highlighted, with Netflix citing it as the “most successful launch to date” in terms of both installs and engagement. The company did not disclose specific download figures but noted that some users subscribed to Netflix primarily to access and play the Grand Theft Auto games.

This marked a notable shift from 2022 when data from Apptopia and CNBC indicated that less than one percent of Netflix subscribers were actively playing games. Despite the initial slow adoption, Netflix continued to expand its gaming library, featuring popular titles like Hades, Dead Cells, Braid, Death’s Door, and Katana Zero. The platform also ventured into developing its games, such as Oxenfree II: Lost Signal. Netflix’s gaming offerings extend to titles based on its original shows like Money Heist and The Dragon Prince. Alongside the gaming update, Netflix reported adding 13.1 million subscribers in the last quarter of 2023, marking the highest quarterly growth since the pandemic-driven surge, bringing the total global subscriber count to 260 million.