FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition developer reportedly shut down

Refactor Games, the studio behind the recent Netflix sports game FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition, has reportedly been shut down. This comes after multiple employees have stated they have been laid off, and that the entire studio has been shut down by part-owner Delphi Interactive.

"Delphi just pulled the plug on Refactor studios right after we shipped the FIFA World Cup game for Netflix. The entire studio was let go today so if anyone is looking for talent I can put you in contact with someone pretty awesome folks," wrote a former Refactor employee on LinkedIn (via Game Developer.)

The US-based studio was formed of EA Sports, 2K Sports, and OneTeam Partners developers. It released its debut game, Football Simulator, in 2022, and launched FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition exclusively for Netflix Games this June. While it didn't reach a strong critical reception, FIFA World Cup: Launch Edition did manage to be a top performer for Netflix.

It has been stated by the studio's co-founder Nathan Burba that around 85% of its employees have been laid off in a statement to GamesBeat. He didn't elaborate further to say if funding had been pulled by Delphi.