Apple’s Bold Move: Gaming Hub Launch and Developer Acquisition Set for 2025!

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Summary

  • Apple acquired Sneaky Sasquatch creator RAC7, marking its first-ever game developer acquisition.
  • The company is reportedly planning to launch a new gaming hub app to replace Game Center, which will be announced at WWDC 2025 on June 9.
  • Apple’s recent gaming initiatives build on a years-long effort to expand its presence in the gaming industry.

Apple has made its first-ever acquisition of a game developer and is planning to release a standalone gaming application by the end of 2025. These actions could represent Apple’s most substantial foray into gaming in many years, but it remains uncertain or even questionable if these steps will make Apple devices more enticing to gamers.

For a long time, Apple’s product lineup didn’t really focus on the needs of gamers. The reasons for this are complex and differ between product types. For instance, Mac computers have traditionally emphasized battery life, heat management, and creative workflows, relegating gaming to a secondary concern. On the mobile side, while the App Store proved profitable for casual games, high-quality console-style experiences didn’t gain much ground. Creating these games was—and still is—difficult due to Apple’s software environment, which demands regular app updates to adapt to frequent changes in iOS updates. Lately, though, Apple has been taking steps to cater to gamers and game developers alike.

It appears that a new trend could persist with an upcoming gaming application from Apple, as suggested by a recent Bloomberg report based on sources privy to the company’s strategic plans. This unnamed app is rumored to serve as a centralized gaming platform for various modern Apple devices such as Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV in the near future.

Apple’s Gaming Hub Announcement Reportedly Coming Close to Switch 2 Launch

According to Bloomberg’s sources, it is anticipated that Apple will unveil its new gaming hub during their Worldwide Developers Conference in June 9, 2025, which falls four days after the launch of Switch 2. The app is said to function as a platform for exploring the game section of the iOS App Store and boosting the popularity of the Apple Arcade subscription service. It’s also speculated that this new hub could potentially replace Game Center, an online gaming platform and achievement system first introduced in 2010, which was originally a standalone app but was moved to the Settings section in September 2016.

Apple Acquired Its First Game Developer

Independently, Digital Trends recently disclosed that Apple bought RAC7, a small Canadian studio known for creating Sneaky Sasquatch – one of the top-rated games on Apple Arcade at launch. This is Apple’s first purchase of a game development company. A representative from the firm explained that this acquisition doesn’t necessarily mean a significant change in strategy, but rather it represents an exclusive chance to grow the selection of games available on Apple Arcade.

Apple’s Gaming Focus Is on the Rise

Although Apple doesn’t seem to be actively acquiring game developers at the moment, their interest in gaming seems to be intensifying. Apart from Apple Arcade, they introduced the Game Porting Toolkit in 2023, making it simpler for developers to adapt Windows games for contemporary Macs. The team has also been encouraging ports of AAA titles for iOS and macOS, leading to games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and the Resident Evil 4 remake appearing on Apple platforms.

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2025-05-28 13:45