Zynga Closes Acquisition of Mobile Game Developer StarLark; Expands Game Portfolio With Hit Franchise, Golf Rival

* Brings a Talented Development Team and New Hit Franchise to Zynga
* Expands Zynga’s International Footprint with a Studio in China
* Adds New Projects in Early Development
* Zynga to Update Full Year 2021 Guidance when Reporting Q3 2021 Financial Results on November 8, 2021
Zynga Closes Acquisition of Mobile Game Developer StarLark; Expands Game Portfolio with Hit Franchise, Golf Rival (Graphic: Business Wire)

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced it has closed the acquisition of StarLark, developer of the fast-growing and second largest mobile golf game in the world, Golf Rival, from Betta Games for a total purchase price of approximately $525 million in cash and stock. 

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211007005016/en/

StarLark brings to Zynga the talented development team behind the hit mobile game, Golf Rival, where players of all skill levels compete in real-time player-versus-player matches, including multiplayer tournaments on spectacular courses with customizable equipment. The acquisition also expands Zynga’s international presence by establishing a new China-based studio with access to the region’s creative talent pool. StarLark will continue to be led by its Founder and General Manager, Henry You, and its current management team. StarLark has additional projects in development.

“We could not be more pleased to welcome StarLark’s extraordinarily accomplished team to Zynga,” said Frank Gibeau, Chief Executive Officer of Zynga. “StarLark and Zynga share a common vision – to bring people together through games. With Golf Rival, we are expanding Zynga’s portfolio with a new hit franchise and are establishing a developer presence in China, a country with unparalleled technical and creative talent. As a combined team, we are well positioned to grow faster together.”

“StarLark shares a common passion with Zynga for uniting mobile gamers from anywhere in the world. By partnering with Zynga, we will have access to the company’s extensive global resources and expertise, while continuing to develop new and exciting content for players,” said Henry You, StarLark Founder and General Manager. “We are thrilled to embark on the next chapter of our journey with Zynga, a global leader in mobile gaming.”

The close of this acquisition is effective as of October 5, 2021. Zynga expects to update its full year 2021 guidance when reporting its Q3 2021 financial results on Monday, November 8.

Editor’s note:

Key art and broadcast assets are available for use at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/89wkhslxyahx40b/AACLP9FV4kja4SDozzWJCXLya?dl=0

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