Apple has acquired Sneaky Sasquatch developer RAC7, the first dedicated gaming studio to be brought under the iPhone maker’s umbrella.
Per Digital Trends, though it might seem like Apple buying its first-ever gaming studio is part of its strategy to increase its presence in the gaming space, those familiar with the company’s plans say it was it was more of a chance to help grow Sneaky Sasquatch’s player base on Apple Arcade.
“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 told 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.”
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Apple is gearing up to reveal its own dedicated gaming app on June 9 at its Worldwide Developers Conference. This latest push into the gaming market would follow the hotly anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 by just four days.
Sources close to Bloomberg say Apple plans to begin pre-installing its new gaming app on all iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV set-top boxes starting later this year. The app will reportedly be a game launcher and hub where players can track achievements, leaderboards, messages, and other stuff.
It’s no secret that Apple has had its eye on the gaming segment for years, with Apple Arcade launching in 2019, and whether or not the RAC7 acquisition is part of that broader effort, Bloomberg’s report paints the reveal of the app as something Apple hopes will sell players and developers on the idea of it being a leader in the market. One thing’s for sure; the timing being so close to Nintendo’s orbit certainly sends a message.
In the meantime, familiarize yourself with our list of the upcoming Switch 2 games before the console’s rollout on June 5.
