Apple is acquiring certain assets from Rabbit 3 Times, the company behind the Mac and iPhone app “Play,” and also has the right to hire some employees. The deal is disclosed through a filing Apple made to the European Commission in February; the publication appears after a waiting period, which indicates the transaction is subject to review. “Play” uses Apple’s SwiftUI frameworks to help designers prototype iPhone app interfaces and then send those prototypes to Xcode. Apple Design Award records show the app won an Apple Design Award in 2025 for innovation. After the acquisition announcement, Play is no longer available on the App Store, a change the reports connect to an acqui-hire or asset-focused acquisition. Apple could use the acquired intellectual property to improve its developer tools such as Xcode, though specific plans have not been detailed publicly. One report describes the transaction as an asset acquisition with an option to hire, while another frames it as potentially an acqui-hire, leaving the precise structure of what Apple is purchasing beyond assets and potential staffing rights unclear.