Annapurna, the entertainment studio founded in 2011 by Megan Ellison, just acquired one of South Africa’s top gaming companies. The acquisition of 24 Bit Games will allow the Johannesburg-based company to grow its development team and its technology as it continues its business under the Annapurna umbrella.
“Annapurna has been working with 24 Bit for many years, and we value not only the caliber of their work, but their team as well,” said Annapurna Interactive Co-Head Deborah Mars. “They’ve always shared our commitment to quality, and by taking our partnership to the next level we feel like anything is possible.”
24 Bit Games’ portfolio includes projects that range from porting to co-development to tool production for independent and AAA studios, across platforms such as mobile, PC, VR, and consoles. The company’s client list includes a slew of publishers, developers, media companies, and tech platforms.
“We deeply respect Annapurna’s approach to curating a portfolio of great games, its value system around building and extending IP, as well as the company culture,” said 24 Bit Games CEO Luke Lamothe. “We have truly enjoyed working together over the years, and we believe we are joining Annapurna at an exciting moment of growth and expansion.“
This marks the first company acquired by Annapurna, even if they are no stranger to the realm of video games. Recent releases include Thirsty Suitors and the likes of “Stray,” “Cooccon,” “Outer Wilds” and “Neon White” among others. Annapurna recently announced plans to turn “Strays,” a best-selling and acclaimed open-world video game about a stray cat, into an animated feature film.
