Spry Fox founders take substantial pay cuts following Netflix buyback 

• Spry Fox founders personally funded the buyback of the company.
• Spry Fox has allocated the majority of company equity to its employees.
• Nearly 50 developers are currently working on Spirit Crossing with a spring 2026 beta release date.

Studio leadership at Spry Fox said they have taken substantial salary reductions and are personally funding the buyback of the company after it was spun off from Netflix.

The Seattle-based developer was acquired by Netflix in November 2022, but was recently sold back to the studio founders.

Spry Fox said the transition happened at an "extremely fast" pace, with the entire spinout completed in roughly three months before it was initially announced in December 2025. 

As part of the transition, studio leadership said it made significant financial sacrifices, including substantial salary reductions and personally funding the buyback of the company. 

In a post, Spry Fox co-founder David Edery said that the majority of equity in the new independent entity has been allocated to employees, positioning the studio as a more evenly shared studio.

“To make this work, we’re also making real sacrifices," said Edery. "All of us are taking large pay cuts. Daniel and I have reduced our salaries to $20,000/year, and we’ve spent our own cash to buy the studio back. 

“And we are taking all the equity in the new company and giving the majority of it to the rest of the studio’s employees. 

“In a world where executives tend to make 10x the salaries that employees do, and have 100x the equity, we want Spry Fox to be an example of something fairer and hopefully much better.

Sustainable future 

Nearly 50 developers are currently working on Spirit Crossing, the studio’s largest project to date, which has been in development for around five years. 

The developer said it is notably smaller than comparable productions, with Spry Fox relying on veteran developers and long-term experience to offset its leaner structure.

While Spirit Crossing was initially planned as a free-to-play mobile exclusive for Netflix members, the studio said independence allows it to pursue a multi-platform future. 

The game will remain free on mobile for Netflix subscribers, but Spry Fox is now exploring sustainable business models to support long-term live development.

The studio is targeting a public beta for Spirit Crossing in spring 2026, with a full launch planned later that year.