Netflix has hundreds of projects in development at any time, and over the years, we’ve seen the streaming service nab some notable video game IPs to develop into shows and movies. Here’s your updated guide to every video game adaptation on or coming soon to Netflix.
With the streaming wars heating up, IP has become a valuable commodity and when it comes to a service like Netflix that doesn’t have much of that commodity, they’ve turned to video games for help. That’s even though video-game IP being adapted by Hollywood hasn’t necessarily had the best of reputations.
One way or another, Netflix works with nearly every industry video game publisher. Here’s a list of all the publishers there are announced or available projects from:
- Capcom
- CD Projekt Red
- EA
- Konami
- Microsoft
- Sega
- Sony
- Square Enix
- Take-Two
- Ubisoft
Before we look into what’s next from Netflix’s upcoming video game adaptation projects, here’s a look at the titles already available:
- Castlevania (confirmed for a future spin-off)
- Dragon’s Dogma
- Minecraft: Story Mode (due to be removed from Netflix)
- Skylanders: Academy
- The Witcher (originally a book but popularized by the video game franchise)
- Dragon Quest: Your Story
- Pokemon series & movies (with more to come)
- DOTA: Dragon’s Blood (renewed for season 2)
- Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness
- Arcane (renewed for season 2) based on League of Legends
- Angry Birds: Summer Madness
- The Cuphead Show!
- Resident Evil (Canceled after a single season)
- Sonic Prime (Renewed for season 2 & 3)
- Tekken: Bloodline
- Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Upcoming Video Game TV/Movie Adaptations at Netflix
But let’s now take a look into the future and see what video game adaptation projects Netflix currently has in the works:
Assassin’s Creed
Type: Live-action TV series + animated series Publisher: Ubisoft
Picture: Netflix
A live-action adaptation based on the acclaimed Assassin’s Creed franchise was announced in October 2020 as part of Ubisoft’s overall deal with Netflix. Extremely little is known about the project, except that Ubisoft Film’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik will serve as executive producers for the project.
Jeb Stuart, at one point, served as showrunner on the series, but he has since departed.
You can read more on what we know about Netflix’s upcoming Assassins Creed adaptation here.
Splinter Cell
Type: Animated TV Series Publisher: Ubisoft
Picture: Ubisoft
Tom Clancy’s iconic spy thriller is coming to Netflix as an animated series with John Wick writer Derek Kolstad leading the development. According to Variety, the series has received a two-season 16-episode deal at Netflix.
Tomb Raider
Type: Animated TV series Publisher: Square Enix
The iconic Lara Croft will again go on adventures where she will uncover mysteries and raid tombs.
Legendary Entertainment is working with Netflix on a brand new Tomb Raider anime series written by The Witcher: Blood Origin writer Tasha Huo. DJ2, a company that specializes in films and TV series with animation, will also work on Netflix’s Tomb Raider.
Bioshock
Type: Film Publisher: Take-Two
Picture: Take-Two
Partnering with 2K, Take-Two, and Vertigo Entertainment, Netflix will be developing the beloved Bioshock franchise into a movie.
Details are extremely slim, with no plot details available. We know that Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, I Am Legend, Netflix’s Slumberland) is on board to direct.
Beyond Good and Evil
Type: Live-action film Publisher: Ubisoft
Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of the popular Ubisoft game Beyond Good and Evil in July 2020.
Netflix’s Beyond Good and Evil will be helmed by Detective Pikachu director Rob Letterman. Jason Altman and Margaret Boykin are producing for Ubisoft Film & Television.
Sadly, since July 2020, there has been no new news regarding the project, with the film perhaps suffering the same issues as the game does.
Dragon’s Lair
Type: Live-Action Feature Film
Ryan Reynolds was originally announced to be on board with this live-action feature film which was first announced back in March 2020.
The game itself is from the 1980s and is considered to be one of the retro greats. Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Jon Pomeroy are also originally supposed to be producing.
Fast forward nearly three years; there’s been very little development available to the public on the project.
An animated project was funded on Indiegogo with Don Bluth involved, but that’s yet to come to fruition.
The Division
Another production based on Tom Clancy’s works, The Division will arrive on Netflix as a feature film. Directed by Deadpool 2‘s David Leitch, The Division will star such Hollywood A-Listers as Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain.
The Division will follow the same basic storyline as the video game it’s based on. It’s set in the near future when a devastating virus is released upon the citizens of New York City on Black Friday. The virus, spread through paper money, kills millions within the city, and what little remains of society has descended into chaos. A highly trained group of operatives are tasked with going into New York City and saving any potential survivors.
Currently, there are no production dates on The Division, but if all goes well, production may begin in the coming months. We’ve got even more on this so read up on everything we know about The Division.
Far Cry & Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix
Type: Anime Series Publisher: Ubisoft
Coming to Netflix as part of the many titles from Ubisoft is an anime series based on the Far Cry series and what is technically a spin-off title, too, which will incorporate many Ubisoft licenses.
Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is produced by Adi Shankar and features “alter egos of Ubisoft characters in a highly referenced homage to the early ’90s”.
Pokemon
Type: Live-action & other projects
Netflix has been getting exclusive Pokemon content for some time now, and that will continue with season 24 (but only in the United States) from September 2021.
In addition, the co-showrunner of Lucifer, Joe Henderson, is also reportedly working on a live-action Pokemon TV series adaptation too.
Pokemon was given a live adaptation before, with Pokémon Detective Pikachu released in 2019, which Warner Brothers distributed.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Type: Live-action Publisher: Sony
Horizon Zero Dawn’s open-world adventure game came from Sony Interactive’s Guerilla Games studio based in the Netherlands. Set in a tribal world, the story follows Aloy as she discovers her destiny by going up against machines that resemble dinosaurs among creatures.
A live-action adaptation was reportedly in early development at Netflix as of May 2022.
Exploding Kittens
Type: Animated Series Publisher: The Oatmeal / Netflix
Picture: The Oatmeal
Announced alongside the fact that Netflix Games would be carrying a new version of the game via its gaming offering was the fact that we’re getting a TV series based on the card game.
The TV adaptation project was announced in April 2022, King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as executive producers. Matthew Inman and Shane Kosakowski serve as showrunners.
Gears of War
Type: Live-action film + adult animated series Publisher: Microsoft
In November 2022, alongside the 16th Anniversary of the video game franchise, came news that Netflix was developing two projects based on Gears of War with developer The Coalition working on the project.
Per the original announcement:
Other Rumored Video Game Projects
Netflix isn’t the only streamer getting in on video game IP.
HBO also made a big stride last year with the announcement that The Last of Us would be getting the TV treatment.
That’s all we have right now. Have we missed any upcoming Netflix adaptations? Let us know in the comments down below.
