John Donahoe, president and CEO of Nike said “This acquisition is another step that accelerates Nike’s digital transformation and allows us to serve athletes and creators at the intersection of sport, creativity, gaming and culture. We’re acquiring a very talented team of creators with an authentic and connected brand. Our plan is to invest in the RTFKT brand, serve and grow its innovative and creative community and extend Nike’s digital footprint and capabilities.”

Benoit Pagotto, one of RTFKT’s co-founders added “Nike is the only brand in the world that shares the deep passion we all have for innovation, creativity and community, and we’re excited to grow our brand which was fully formed in the metaverse.”

We Knew Something Was Coming...

Rumors have been floating around since late October as Nike expanded patents for all of their products to include digital versions 'for use offline and online virtual worlds'.

Nike was also posting job openings for people with experience designing virtual materials in 3d design software - a search now solved by acquiring RTFKT's team of designers.

Expect to hear similar stories from hundreds of established real-world brands as the metaverse expands and they look to open up shop digitally..