‘Sneaky Sasquatch’ is a major hit for Apple Arcade
Apple’s latest acquisition is RAC7, the two-person deveopment team behind Apple Arcade topping game “Sneaky Sasquatch.”
RAC7 is a very small game studio that has worked on multiple well-known games, including Sneaky Sasquatch, Dark Echo, and Splitter Critters. Now, that studio belongs to Apple.
The two-person team has been bought by Apple for an undisclosed amount, reports Digital Trends. The acquisition brings the duo under the umbrella of Apple.
It appears that the purchase wasn’t an acquihire, as the team will continue to operate as an internal studio within Apple, rather than joining as part of a larger team.
“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 confirmed to the publication.
Launched in 2019, Sneaky Sasquatch has been a breakout hit for both Apple Arcade and RAC7. It has been regularly updated since its introduction, and is often at the top of the Apple Arcade chart.
A very small gaming acquisition
While the purchase of the studio behind one of the most popular games on Apple Arcade could be considered a major move for Apple, it definitely isn’t the case. Hiring a studio with just two members has likely cost Apple very little monetarily, in order to secure the game and future versions for its platforms.
Indeed, Apple explained that the move is one more about unique circumstances than anything, and to ensure the growth of the game on Apple Arcade. It also insists that it will continue to work with big and small third-party game studios on Apple Arcade and the App Store.
Apple’s massive war chest could easily afford to buy out many development studios, including some quite major ones. If Apple was going to make a move towards game development and acting as a publisher rather than as a digital storefront, that would be the move it would make.
That’s not to say that Apple isn’t interested in gaming. Its push to make Mac and the rest of its ecosystem more attractive to game developers is ongoing, seemingly with no indication that it will let up anytime soon.
