Sudden decisions by platform holders have made the mobile market less attractive to Ustwo Games.
Ustwo Games, known for the Monument Valley series, is changing its approach to releasing games and is moving from a mobile model to a "PC-first" strategy. Previously, all three parts of Monument Valley were initially developed as mobile projects and only then released on PC, but now the studio intends to shift its focus.
In an interview with MobileGamer.biz, Ustwo Games CEO Maria Sayans stated that the company is seeking to reduce its dependence on strategic decisions by platform holders like Netflix and Apple.
This decision is directly related to the situation surrounding Monument Valley 3. The game was released on Netflix on December 10, 2024, but was unexpectedly removed from the catalog six months later, in June 2025. This came as a "complete surprise" to the studio, despite years of collaboration and a large-scale marketing campaign. At that time, Netflix removed dozens of mobile projects from the service due to a revision of its content policy, which caused dissatisfaction among both developers and users.
Sayans noted that working with Apple and Netflix had long provided the studio with a stable and profitable foundation, allowing it to develop on other platforms as well. However, by 2026, the situation had changed. According to her, dependence on third-party strategies limits long-term planning, as the developer finds itself "one step removed from its audience."
After being removed from Netflix, Ustwo Games reworked Monument Valley 3 and re-released the game on Android and iOS mobile devices in December 2025.
Sayans also emphasized that the premium mobile market may be sustainable in certain categories, but it is not capable of justifying large budgets. As a result, mobile platforms will remain an additional area for the studio, but will no longer be the main one.
