Hipster Whale acquired by Atari, plans to revive classic arcade games for mobile

Hipster Whale, the Australian studio behind the hit mobile game Crossy Road, has been acquired by Atari for an initial $29.3 million. The deal marks a significant shift for the independent developer 14 years after Crossy Road's breakout success.

Crossy Road has accumulated over 340 million downloads since its 2014 launch. At its peak, the game generated $250,000 per day in revenue and earned Hipster Whale $10 million within 90 days of release, according to cofounder Matt Hall.

Hall says Hipster Whale fended off acquisition offers for years but found Atari's vision particularly compelling. "If you think about what that brand is and what that brand means, it's retro, it's a celebration of the joy of the arcade," Hall says. "I think you'll be hard pressed to find a mobile company more aligned with that spirit."

Hall has known Atari boss Wade Rosen for years. Conversations between the two intensified at Gamescom 2025, eventually leading to the acquisition being finalized by June 2025.

Hipster Whale now joins Atari's portfolio alongside Digital Eclipse and Nightdive Studios, both known for preserving and updating classic games. Hall said the studio is interested in bringing Atari classics like Pong, Breakout, Centipede, and Missile Command to mobile platforms, where they are not currently available.

"I can't wait to bring some of these classic titles back, even if they're just preserved, but also update them and make them exciting – a modern take, even," Hall says. The team is already working on bringing Atari properties to Crossy Road and exploring ways to make retro collections like Atari 50 available on mobile. Hall emphasized that Hipster Whale and Rosen share a passion for preservation and want Atari's classics to be playable on every platform possible, from mobile to Apple TV, Netflix, and arcade cabinets.