Apple acquires RAC7, its first-ever video game studio

Apple has acquired RAC7, the two-person video game developer behind Apple Arcade hit Sneaky Sasquatch. This is the first time that Apple has acquired a video game studio in  its history, but the company describes the move as a unique situation. 

RAC7 is a two-person studio whose previous credits include indie titles Dark Echo and Splitter Critters. In 2019, the team released Sneaky Sasquatch as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The adventure game was a breakout hit among the service’s 71 launch titles, according to Apple, and it has received regular updates since launch. Now, the team will continue its partnership with Apple as an internal studio.

“We love Sneaky Sasquatch and are excited that the 2-person RAC7 team has joined Apple to continue their work on it with us,” an Apple spokesperson tells Digital Trends. “We will continue to deliver a great experience for Apple Arcade players with hundreds of games from many of the best game developers in the world.”

The acquisition doesn’t necessarily signal the beginning of a new gaming strategy for the tech giant. Apple notes that the move is a unique circumstance, as it saw an opportunity to help the team grow its game more on Apple Arcade. It says that it will continue to work with third-party studios big and small to create games for the service.

Though the partnership may come as a shock to those who haven’t been following Arcade closely since its launch, it’s less surprising in context. When I spoke to Apple Arcade Senior Director Alex Rofman about the service last year, he cited Sneaky Sasquatch as one of the service’s major success stories (“We hear from customers all over the world whose kids want Sneaky Sasquatch birthday parties!” Rofman told Digital Trends at the time). RAC7 is just one of a handful of indie studios who has consistently developed for the service since its launch alongside names like Lykke Studios and Triband Games.

Even if it’s a one-off acquisition, the move signals that Apple is still committed to its Arcade service, which continues to release new games on a monthly cadence. Recent additions have included a brand new Katamari Damacy game, a sequel to Xbox Live Arcade hit Space Invaders: Infinity Gene, and Apple Vision Pro exclusive Gears & Goo.