Business Wire

CA-ZYNGA

5.8.2021 22:09:32 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
Zynga Enters Into Agreement to Acquire Mobile Game Developer StarLark, Team Behind the Hit Franchise, Golf Rival

Zynga Inc . (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire StarLark, developer of the fast-growing and second-largest mobile golf game in the world, Golf Rival, from Betta Games for $525 million in cash and stock. This acquisition brings to Zynga a talented development team with the proven ability to create a global hit and additional projects in early development. StarLark also expands Zynga’s international presence by establishing a China-based studio with access to the region’s creative talent base.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210805005098/en/

In Golf Rival , players of all skill levels compete in real-time player-versus-player matches, including multiplayer tournaments on spectacular courses with customizable equipment. The game has rapidly grown to become the second-largest mobile golf game in the world with six million downloads in 2021 alone.

“With the acquisition of Golf Rival , Zynga becomes home to a talented team with the proven ability to create a global hit, while expanding Zynga’s international footprint with a new studio in China,” said Frank Gibeau, Chief Executive Officer of Zynga. “Golf Rival has rapidly ascended to become the second-largest mobile golf game in the world, with six million downloads in 2021 alone. Together, Zynga and StarLark are well-positioned to grow Golf Rival faster together with additional new projects in early development.”

“I’m very proud of the StarLark team for making Golf Rival a worldwide hit and we are thrilled to join Zynga to further accelerate the game’s incredible growth trajectory as a forever franchise,” said Henry You, Founder and General Manager of StarLark. “This partnership will provide Zynga with greater accessibility to China’s deep talent pool, while also giving StarLark access to Zynga’s global resources and expertise.”

Zynga will acquire the StarLark development studio and Golf Rival franchise for approximately $525 million, comprising approximately $315 million of cash and approximately $210 million of Zynga common stock (issued at the average closing price per share over the thirty-day trading period ended August 02, 2021). The final closing consideration will also include customary closing adjustments and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Zynga was advised by White & Case and Fangda Law. Aream & Co. acted as the exclusive financial advisor and Orrick served as legal advisor to Betta Games in this transaction.

Editor’s note:

Key art and broadcast assets available for use at the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k04y6d41bgrcw7m/AACg-NaEWZDbPEumf0s42qlIa?dl=0

About Zynga

Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. With massive global reach in more than 175 countries and regions, Zynga has a diverse portfolio of popular game franchises that have been downloaded more than four billion times on mobile, including CSR Racing ™, Empires & Puzzles ™, Hair Challenge ™, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells ™, High Heels! ™, Merge Dragons! ™, Merge Magic! ™, Queen Bee ™, Toon Blast ™, Toy Blast ™, Words With Friends ™ and Zynga Poker ™. With Chartboost, a leading mobile advertising and monetization platform, Zynga is an industry-leading next-generation platform with the ability to optimize programmatic advertising and yields at scale. Founded in 2007, Zynga is headquartered in California with locations in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.zynga.com or follow Zynga on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook or the Zynga blog .

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including those statements relating to, among other things: the proposed acquisition of Beijing StarLark Technology Co., Ltd. (“StarLark)”, the Golf Rival mobile game franchise and related other games, intellectual properties, business records and specified other assets and liabilities; our ability to achieve the intended benefits of the acquisition, including the growth of the Golf Rival franchise, the development of future games, and attracting and retaining key development and other personnel; the purchase price for the acquisition and the timing in which the transaction is expected to close. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “projected,” “planned,” “intend,” “will,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “target,” “expect,” and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and reflect management’s current expectations. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, and our actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: satisfaction of transaction closing conditions and our ability to timely close the transaction; our ability to effectively integrate and achieve the expected benefits of the transaction; and risks of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the transaction. More information about these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions and additional factors that could cause actual results to differ are or will be described in greater detail in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov .

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Abu Dhabi Launches TAMM Global to Bring Its AI-Native Government Platform to the World16.10.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release

Abu Dhabi has launched TAMM Global, a private technology company established to make the award-winning technology behind TAMM available to governments worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261016490320/en/ Abu Dhabi Launches TAMM Global to Bring Its AI-Native Government Platform to the World (Photo: AETOSWire) It is the first time the AI-powered platform, which serves 4.7 million users and is recognized as one of the world’s most advanced digital government platforms, will be available for international licensing and deployment. The launch marks a significant milestone in Abu Dhabi’s ambition to become the world’s first AI-native government. It reflects growing international demand for proven technologies that can accelerate digital transformation while protecting sovereignty, regulatory compliance and public trust. It also demonstrates how homegrown innovation and intellectual property are creating oppor

TestMu AI Brings Real Device Testing to Kane CLI, Letting Developers Test Mobile Apps on Real Phones From Any Terminal16.10.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release

Plain-English mobile tests now run on real Android and iOS devices in the TestMu AI cloud from any Mac, Windows, or Linux machine, with a live view of the device on the developer's laptop TestMu AI (formerly LambdaTest), the Full Stack Agentic AI Quality Engineering platform, announced real device support in Kane CLI. Developers can now test a mobile app on a real phone or tablet in the TestMu AI cloud straight from the terminal: they type what to test in plain English, and Kane taps through the app on a real Android or iOS device. Until now, testing a mobile app on real hardware meant keeping a drawer of phones, or a separate device farm outside the developer's workflow. With real device support, Kane CLI removes that dependency again now by giving terminal-first access to the real device cloud. Kane CLI on real devices gives teams: Real Android and iOS devices from any terminal. Kane CLI opens a real device in the TestMu AI cloud and taps through the app from natural language prompts

METI and GX Acceleration Agency will hold GGX Finance Summit 202616.10.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release

On Monday, October 26th, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and GX Acceleration Agency will hold the GGX (Global GX) Finance Summit at Tokyo Prince Hotel and online. The Summit will advance discussions on transition finance, industry decarbonization, and the role of business and finance in driving decarbonization. It will also promote cooperation among government, industry, and the financial sector, and lead international rulemaking toward achieving both emission reductions and economic growth. Outline of GGX Finance Summit Date: October 26th, 2026 10:00 - 16:20 (JST, GMT+9:00) Venue: Tokyo Prince Hotel (Tokyo) (3-3-1 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8560, Japan) Organizer: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), GX Acceleration Agency Co-organizer: GX Future Consortium Format: Hybrid (On-site and on-line) Language: Japanese/English (with English/Japanese simultaneous interpretation) Press Registration Please complete your registration by accessing the official

Dubai Culture: Dubai Ranks First Globally in Attracting New FDI Projects in Cultural and Creative Industries in 202516.10.2026 13:32:00 CEST | Press release

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has revealed that Dubai retained its position as the world’s leading destination for new foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) in 2025, ranking first globally for the fourth consecutive year. According to data from the Financial Times’ fDi Markets, a leading source of greenfield FDI intelligence, Dubai topped the ranking of 233 cities, ahead of London, Singapore, Riyadh and Bengaluru. The results reflect the strength of the emirate’s investment environment and its appeal to creative businesses, investors, entrepreneurs and talent from around the world. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261016681830/en/ Dubai Culture: Dubai ranks first globally in attracting new FDI projects in cultural and creative industries in 2025 (Graphic: AETOSWire) In 2025, Dubai attracted 754 new projects in the cultural and creative industries, with greenf

Horizon3 and Pax8 Expand Partnership to Bring Autonomous Security Testing to MSPs Across Europe16.10.2026 08:03:00 CEST | Press release

NodeZero® gives partners a repeatable way to identify exploitable attack paths, guide remediation, and prove fixes worked Horizon3, the AI-Native Proactive Security Company, today announced the expansion of its Pax8 partnership across Europe, bringing the NodeZero® Proactive Security Platform to the region’s managed service providers (MSPs) through the Pax8 Marketplace. The expansion enables partners to build recurring security services that help small and midsized businesses understand how attackers could compromise their environments, prioritize corrective actions, and verify remediation. Building on the companies’ North American marketplace launch, the European expansion makes autonomous offensive security testing accessible to more MSPs and the businesses they protect. Partners can use NodeZero to deliver initial assessments, support remediation engagements, and establish ongoing testing programs without conducting every penetration test manually. “MSPs are accountable for protecti

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye