Ustwo Games CEO Maria Sayans vows to slash budgets and rely on contractors after Netflix abandons Monument Valley 3

Key facts

• Ustwo Games is pivoting from mobile to PC and console after Netflix dropped Monument Valley 3.
• CEO Maria Sayans revealed that the studio's development budgets have been £7 million to £10 million with 3-4 year cycles.
• The studio currently employs about 30 people, with staffing reaching 40 during Monument Valley 3 production.
• Ports of existing titles to Steam and Nintendo Switch sold hundreds of thousands of units, described as 'decent' but not 'crazy numbers'.
• Sayans stated that the studio will maintain a small core team and use contractors for growth, a practice she said she 'hates about the industry'.
• Sayans recommended launching games at higher prices and offering discounts later, acknowledging the strategy may be unpopular with players.

A strategic pivot forced by a streaming giant's exit

Ustwo Games, the London-based developer behind the critically acclaimed Monument Valley franchise, is abandoning its mobile-first strategy after Netflix abruptly dropped Monument Valley 3 just six months after its launch. The decision, announced by CEO Maria Sayans at London Games Fest, follows a strategic review that concluded mobile platforms no longer offer 'a solid base to build a long-term business around.' The studio had relied on partnerships with major companies like Netflix and Apple to launch mobile titles before porting them to other platforms. But Sayans said such deals are no longer materializing, leaving Ustwo to bring Monument Valley 3 to PC and consoles without Netflix's publishing support. The company now aims to create 'meaningful single player experiences' for PC and consoles, leveraging its established intellectual property.

Unsustainable budgets and the search for a new model

Sayans revealed that Ustwo has been developing games with budgets ranging from £7 million to £10 million and production cycles of three to four years. 'We need to lower that,' she said, acknowledging that the studio's cost structure is incompatible with the PC market. While ports of Monument Valley, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, and Assemble with Care to Steam and Nintendo Switch have sold hundreds of thousands of units, Sayans described the returns as 'decent' rather than spectacular. She noted that the studio's London location, with its high salaries and pension obligations, makes it impossible to match the low budgets of smaller PC developers.

A shift from permanent staff to contractors

Ustwo currently employs about 30 people, a number that swelled to 40 during the peak of Monument Valley 3 production. Sayans said the studio has been 'a little bit too romantic about the idea that we should have employees and give people long-term job security,' admitting that this mindset contributed to unsustainable costs. Going forward, the company will maintain a small core team and rely on contractors and co-development partners for growth. 'We'll see that we've got a core team and any growth will come through contractors, which is something I hate about the industry,' Sayans said, adding that she has been in the industry for 20 years and recognizes that the stability she enjoyed in the early 2000s is no longer viable.

Higher prices and a reset for Monument Valley

Sayans argued that pricing games too low threatens the studio's sustainability and recommended launching at higher prices, with discounts applied later. 'This is not going to be a very popular thing with players, but the truth is you have a cohort of people—your day one players—who are most likely to be your core fans for whom the difference between £5 and £10 is going to be negligible,' she said. The studio sees potential in reinventing the Monument Valley IP for PC and console, but Sayans acknowledged that current budgets are too high to achieve a safe break-even point. For smaller franchises like Alba or Assemble with Care, the studio would need to produce them for 'a lot less money.'

The broader implications for indie development

Ustwo's struggles reflect a wider trend in the video game industry, where rising development costs and shifting platform dynamics are forcing studios to rethink their business models. The loss of Netflix's support for Monument Valley 3 was a catalyst, but Sayans indicated that the underlying issues had been building for some time. The reliance on contractors, while financially prudent, raises questions about job security and working conditions in an industry already known for instability. Sayans herself expressed discomfort with the shift, calling it 'something I hate about the industry.' The studio's path forward will be closely watched by other developers facing similar pressures.

What comes next for Ustwo Games

Ustwo is now focused on porting its existing catalog to PC and console platforms while exploring a 'reset and reinvented' version of Monument Valley for those markets. The studio aims to reduce development budgets significantly, though Sayans did not specify a target figure. With a leaner core team and a flexible contractor model, the company hopes to achieve sustainability without sacrificing the quality that made its games stand out. Whether this strategy will resonate with players and investors remains to be seen, but for now, Ustwo is charting a course that many in the industry will be watching closely.

The bottom line

• Ustwo Games is pivoting from mobile to PC and console after Netflix dropped Monument Valley 3, citing the end of favorable partnership deals.
• CEO Maria Sayans aims to cut development budgets from £7-10 million to more sustainable levels by relying on contractors and co-development.
• The studio will maintain a core team of around 30 employees, with any growth coming from temporary contractors.
• Ports of existing games to Steam and Switch have sold hundreds of thousands of units, but not enough to offset high production costs.
• Sayans advocates higher launch prices with later discounts to improve sustainability, acknowledging the strategy may be unpopular.
• The shift reflects broader industry challenges, including rising costs and platform instability, forcing studios to prioritize financial flexibility over job security.