Multimedia entertainment company Annapurna has acquired its first-ever company, expanding its Interactive division with the purchase of South Africa’s 24 Bit Games–a long-time collaborator with the indie publishing giant.
24 Bit Games has played a major part in bringing past Annapurna Interactive games to more platforms, giving PlayStation players the critically acclaimed Neon White, taking the superb Maquette to Xbox and Switch, and most recently adapting 2023 indie GOTY frontrunner COCOON for PlayStation and Switch. It has also helped out with Twelve Minutes, Broforce, and A Memoir Blue.
Since its creation in 2012, the Unity-focused 24 Bit Games has expanded its portfolio to also work on tool production for both independent and AAA studios, complementing its console output with games on mobile, PC, and VR platforms.
Annapurna has said it hopes to grow 24 Bit Games’ development team and proprietary technology toolkits for new projects, and current employees and leadership will continue to “operate as usual under the Annapurna umbrella.” It has also emphasized its commitment to helping 24 Bit’s quest to advance the South African game development industry.
Deborah Mars, co-head of Annapurna Interactive, said: “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. They’ve always shared our commitment to quality, and by taking our partnership to the next level we feel like anything is possible.”
Luke Lamothe, CEO of 24 Bit Games, said: “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.
“We have truly enjoyed working together over the years, and we believe we are joining Annapurna at an exciting moment of growth and expansion.“
Annapurna’s year continues with another string of excellent indie games, picking up a similar pace to the one that gave it Publisher of the Year credentials in 2021. Most recently, Thirsty Suitors offered one of the most ridiculous and unique tales of love, lust, and South Asian cookery–a game nobody should miss in 2023.
