3D experience pioneer Squint/Opera has been acquired by the digital agency Journey in a move announced on November 1 by the newly-formed entity.

The merger will enable both to pursue an expansion of their services at a time when the industry is seeing an increase in demand thanks to the advent of metaverse design and other forms of media.

“The opportunity to join Journey was momentous.” Julius Coke, the CEO of Squint/Opera, explained in a statement. “Over the last few years Squint has experienced significant growth, as the demand for immersive 3D experiences grows and new platforms and technologies enable a new level of creativity tapping into our storytelling, virtual production and creative media skills.”

Founded in London in 2021, Squint/Opera has since then, it has garnered a reputation through groundbreaking projects like The Observatory at The Empire State Building, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s 2018 Video Games exhibition, and the forthcoming NEOM development in Saudia Arabia. Notable collaborations with premier firms like BIG and Carlo Ratti Associati have followed. The studio recently teamed up with UNStudio and BIG on a new co-working platform called SpaceForm and is in the process of putting the finishing touches on the soon-to-open Oman Across Ages Museum in Oman.

“Creating the next chapter in the 3D end customer journey requires integrated teams working across traditionally siloed disciplines,” Journey's CEO Andy Zimmerman said finally. “With the addition of Squint/Opera, Journey is the first agency to bring these diverse skills and talents together at a global scale, to engage with the world’s biggest brands and most ambitious projects.”