Mike Verdu has officially revealed his new role at Netflix: vice president of Generative AI (GenAI) for Games.
While specific details about the position are limited, Verdu hinted in a LinkedIn post that he is focused on steering a “once-in-a-generation” turning point in game development and player experiences, with generative AI as the driving force behind it.
The news of Verdu’s role first surfaced in June, soon followed by confirmation that former Epic Games executive Alain Tascan would be stepping into Verdu’s previous position as president of Netflix Games.
In his LinkedIn post, Verdu urged industry peers to ignore “uninformed speculation in the media” about changes within Netflix Games, clarifying that both Tascan’s hiring and his own transition to the new role were part of a “planned transition.”
Discussing the impact of generative AI on gaming, Verdu shared that he sees the technology enabling large development teams to work more efficiently and expanding what smaller teams can accomplish.
“Many people view this technology with fear, but as a game-maker at heart, I see its potential to unlock incredible new experiences for players, lifting us to new heights,” he wrote.
“Yes, we’ll need to adapt and evolve, but as an industry, when have we shied away from meeting that challenge?”
Netflix has been significantly investing in gaming over the past few years, particularly since Verdu joined in 2021.
The streaming giant has acquired several studios and launched two of its own, although it recently announced the closure of its California studio, which had been working on AAA titles.
Currently, Netflix’s games are exclusively available on mobile, with the platform’s 100-plus titles surpassing 210 million downloads as of September.
