Apple has quietly made a rare move in the gaming space by acquiring RAC7, the small studio behind the popular Apple Arcade title Sneaky Sasquatch. The purchase, first reported by Digital Trends, is the first time Apple has bought a game studio to bring it fully in-house.

RAC7 is a two-person team based in Vancouver, Canada, founded by Jason Ennis and Jesse Ringrose in 2014. The studio built its name on creative titles such as Dark Echo and Splitter Critters, but it was Sneaky Sasquatch that brought the duo widespread attention. The game launched in 2019 as part of Apple Arcade’s debut lineup and has remained one of the platform’s most recognizable titles.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the acquisition, stating, “We love Sneaky Sasquatch and are excited that the two-person RAC7 team has joined Apple to continue their work on it with us. 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.”

Sneaky Sasquatch has remained a favorite among Apple Arcade players thanks to its charm, humor, and ever-expanding gameplay. Players start by sneaking through a campground and eventually take on human-like activities such as skiing, golfing, and even working office jobs.

Apple has clarified that this was a unique situation meant to support the growth of Sneaky Sasquatch within Apple Arcade. The company says it will continue to collaborate with independent developers and third-party studios, both large and small, to keep expanding its game library.

Although Apple has hired game development talent in the past, such as when it brought on the founders of Playdeo in 2022, this is one of the few times the company has acquired a full studio outright. RAC7 will now operate as part of Apple while continuing to focus on its own title.

The timing of the news has led to speculation about Apple’s bigger gaming plans. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple plans to introduce a new gaming app during its WWDC event. This app is expected to replace Game Center and act as a central hub for game achievements, leaderboards, player activity, and editorial content related to the App Store and Apple Arcade.

With RAC7 now part of Apple, fans of the game can likely expect more updates and deeper support from within the Apple ecosystem.