Spry Fox, the studio behind Triple Town and Cozy Grove, is navigating a new chapter after separating from former owner Netflix Games in December 2025. The company, which joined Netflix in 2022, was reacquired by its co-founders, Daniel Cook and David Edery, last year.

The studio’s next project, Spirit Crossing, remains in development and will still be published by Netflix. However, the transition back to independence has required significant changes. In a recent update, Edery described the buyback as a “big bet” for the team, noting that sacrifices were necessary to regain control of the company.

“All of us are taking large pay cuts. Daniel and I have reduced our salaries to $20,000 per year, and we’ve invested our own money to buy the studio back,” Edery shared. “We’re also allocating the majority of the new company’s equity to the rest of the studio’s employees. In an industry where executives often earn much more than their teams, we want Spry Fox to set a fairer example.”

The process of spinning out from Netflix was completed in about three months, which Edery described as “extremely fast” for a deal of this scale. “Typically, a spinout like this would take six to nine months. We’ve been working intensely to make it happen,” he added.

Despite the challenges, Edery expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “The past three years have been tough for the games industry, with many studios closing. We feel fortunate that something so positive could happen for us during this difficult period. There’s nothing more meaningful we could be working on.”

Currently, around 50 people are involved in developing Spirit Crossing, including full-time staff, part-time contractors, and partner studio collaborators. With independence, Spry Fox’s mission has shifted from launching the game exclusively on Netflix to releasing it across multiple platforms, which will require additional effort.

“Our goal for 2026 is clear and personal: to launch a big, ambitious cozy game that brings people together, encourages kindness, and helps reduce loneliness,” Edery said. “We know from research that loneliness has a serious impact on health and happiness, so we believe this work is truly meaningful. Personally, I’d rather give up my salary and the security of a large company than do anything else right now.”

The studio is aiming for a public beta of Spirit Crossing in spring 2026 (April–June), with a full release planned for later in the year. Spry Fox also plans to continue supporting Cozy Grove: Spirit Camp and will bring the title to PC and consoles later this year.

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