Unity acquires voice and text-based chat tools maker Vivox

Newsbrief:  Unity has acquired Vivox, the company behind the text and voice-based communication tools used in games like Fortnite, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and League of Legends.

TechCrunch reports that the exact terms of the sale haven’t been publicly released, but notes that much of the day-to-day for Vivox will remain the same as a Unity subsidiary. The company is keeping its HQ in Framingham, Massachusetts, will continue to operate under Vivox founder Rob Seaver (who now reports to Unity CEO John Riccitiello), and will continue to offer its tools to developers that don’t use Unity.

For Vivox, the acquisition does mean that its tech could reach platforms that typically don’t see deep options for communication, like mobile, thanks to Unity’s own cross-platform experience. Riccitiello also notes that the purchase could give Vivox access to industries outside of video games, such as architecture, engineering, construction, and the auto industry.