Netflix is reportedly removing Black Mirror: Bandersnatch next week

Netflix has radically changed its approach to interactivity since the release of Bandersnatch in 2018. Though the company produced a number of tie-in specials that took advantage of streaming player technology, Netflix is now more interested in producing actual gaming experiences with veterans of the industry. As detailed at a presentation Polygon attended at of the 2025 Game Developers Conference, Netflix Games is now concentrating and investing in four key categories: Party Games (think Jackbox), Narrative Games (mobile and platform experiences), Kids Games (self-explanatory), and Mainstream Games (Netflix will continue to license titles like Grand Theft Auto 5 and other major franchises).

Case in point: For “Plaything,” instead of replicating the interactive experience of Bandersnatch, Netflix went off and produced an entire game based on the in-world game Thronglets. Sean Krankel, the former head of Night School Studio who is now Netflix’s head of narrative games, recently told Polygon to expect much more experimentation and original titles emerging from the division in the years to come. Netflix is even working on its own MMO.

The removal of Bandersnatch raises major questions about the accessibility of the one-of-a-kind Emmy-winning installment of Black Mirror. After it’s removed from the Netflix streaming platform, will the special live on a new platform where its interactive elements will be intact or will it simply be gone forever?

Polygon asked Netflix for clarity on the issue, but a spokesperson for the company declined to comment.