Cocoon and Thirsty Suitors publisher Annapurna Interactive has acquired South African co-development studio 24 Bit Games for an undisclosed fee.

24 Bit provides engineering, porting, and optimization services and has worked on a number of titles published by Annapurna including A Memoir Blue, Neon White, and Hindsight.

The deal represents Annapurna Interactive’s first ever studio acquisition.

Annapurna’s first acquisition

“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 Deborah Mars, co-head of Annapurna Interactive. “They’ve always shared our commitment to quality, and by taking our partnership to the next level we feel like anything is possible.”

Annapurna said it’ll be a case of “business as usual” for 24 Bit under its umbrella, but added it wants to help the Johannesburg-based studio expand its development team and proprietary technology toolkits.

“Together, the companies will continue to commit to 24 Bit’s ongoing advancement and support of the South African game development industry,” it said in a press release.

24 Bit has experience working across a wide range of platforms including mobile, consoles, PC, and VR, and said it “deeply respects” Annapurna’s approach to portfolio curation. Studio CEO Luke Lamothe said 24 Bit has joined the publisher during an “exciting moment of growth and expansion.”

Annapurna Interactive itself was established in 2016 and is a division of independent movie and entertainment distributor Annapurna Pictures.