Netflix acquires Ready Player Me to build cross-game avatars

Netflix has agreed to acquire Ready Player Me, an Estonia-based startup that builds tools for creating avatars that can move across games and virtual environments. The streamer says it plans to use Ready Player Me’s technology to develop avatars that allow Netflix subscribers to carry their identity and fandom across different games on the platform. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2014, Ready Player Me raised $72 million in venture funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Plural, Konvoy VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Endeavor, and a group of gaming industry angels. The company built a cross-game avatar system used by developers to give players a consistent digital identity. Following the acquisition, Ready Player Me will wind down its standalone products, including its PlayerZero avatar creation tool, on January 31, 2026.

Roughly 20 employees from Ready Player Me will join Netflix as part of the transaction. Of the four founders — Rainer SelvetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Haver JärveojaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Kaspar TiriDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Timmu TõkeDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — only Selvet, the company’s CTO, will move to Netflix. The company has not provided a timeline for when avatars will launch or which games will be first to support them.

For Netflix, the deal is a targeted, infrastructure-level acquisition rather than a bet on a single game or studio. By bringing avatar creation in-house, the company gains a foundational layer it can apply across multiple titles, as it continues to build out interactive and gaming experiences tied more closely to its platform and audience.

Sources:
TechCrunch
Variety

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