Sasquatch Takes the Subway: Apple Arcade Launches Big Crossover Event
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While Apple Arcade is home to over 250 games, there’s one that stands out from the pack: Sneaky Sasquatch. That’s because it’s the one title in the entire catalog that’s owned by Apple itself.
Sneaky Sasquatch began as an indie game like all the others; it was a launch title on Apple Arcade back in 2019. However, last year Apple made the rare move of acquiring RAC7, the two-person development studio behind it, folding it into the Cupertino empire.
It’s not entirely clear what Apple’s reasoning was behind the acquisition, beyond simply nurturing one of the service’s most popular and iconic titles. At the time, the company said only, “We love Sneaky Sasquatch and are excited that the 2-person RAC7 team has joined Apple to continue their work on it with us.”
The game was also remarkably on-brand for Apple Arcade, with executives often highlighting it as a benchmark for its deep, engaging, non-violent, and family-friendly gameplay.
While some speculated that the move might have kicked off a buying spree, Apple treated it entirely as a one-off, and very little changed. In fact, you could be forgiven for not even knowing that Sneaky Sasquatch is owned by Apple. It seems to get promoted a little bit more than the rest of the catalog, but not so much that it seems out of place.
However, today Apple is kicking off a new initiative with a crossover between Sneaky Sasquatch and Subway Surfers+ — the Apple Arcade version of “the world’s most downloaded mobile game” that came to the service in December.
As the plus sign indicates, Subway Surfers+ is one of Apple Arcade’s ”App Store Greats” titles — a game that has been around on the App Store for years, offered free through Apple’s gaming subscription service with all adds and in-app purchases stripped away.
In the new crossover, running from today until October 7, the world of Subway Surfers+ will be transformed by Sneaky Sasquatch, allowing players to unlock four new character skins and two unique hoverboards, along with a level inspired by Sasquatch Valley locations — complete with raccoon coins and a security guard in ranger gear.
“Sneaky Sasquatch is the most beloved game on Apple Arcade and has had one of the most passionate communities of players since day 1,” said Alex Rofman, Apple’s senior director of Apple Arcade. “This exclusive crossover with Subway Surfers+ and the new birdwatching update are just the latest ways players can enjoy Sneaky Sasquatch, with more awesome updates planned for the game over the coming months.”
On September 17, Sneaky Sasquatch itself will get an update that will add birdwatching into the mix, letting players spot, snap, and log over 30 species of birds. Players will be able to log these photos in a bird database to earn rewards, which will scale up based on “the quality of composition and subject, with bonuses for a bird’s rarity, a brand-new sighting, or a lucky multi-bird shot.”
Lastly, Apple is celebrating Sneaky Sasquatch’s birthday with an all-new pack of Sneaky Sasquatch Stickers for iMessage.
