Zynga Closes Acquisition of Mobile Game Developer StarLark; Expands Game Portfolio With Hit Franchise, Golf Rival
7.10.2021 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
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/
Zynga Closes Acquisition of Mobile Game Developer StarLark; Expands Game Portfolio with Hit Franchise, Golf Rival (Graphic: Business Wire)
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
About Zynga Inc.
Zynga is a global leader in interactive entertainment with a mission to connect the world through games. With a 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: our ability to achieve the intended benefits of our acquisition of Beijing StarLark Technology Co., Ltd. (“StarLark)” and the Golf Rival mobile game franchise, including the growth of the Golf Rival franchise, the development of future games, and attracting and retaining key development and other personnel. 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. 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.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211007005016/en/
Contact information
Investor Relations:
Rebecca Lau
Investors@zynga.com
Media Relations:
Sarah Ross
Saross@zynga.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
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
Andersen Global Deepens Private Client Tax Capabilities with KTA Tax15.10.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Global broadens its private client tax capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with KTA Tax, a Dublin-based tax practice that has advised individuals and families for nearly three decades. KTA Tax has advised private clients and their families since 1997, combining the personal approach of a boutique practice with deep technical knowledge of Irish taxation. Its services span transaction and tax planning, estate planning, investments and pensions, cross-border matters, Revenue interventions, employment tax, and annual personal tax compliance. “We have remained focused on one thing: providing clear, thoughtful tax advice that reflects the individual circumstances of our clients and their families,” said Lisa Cantillon, CEO of KTA Tax. “Collaborating with Andersen Global is an important step for KTA Tax, giving us an opportunity to build on that foundation while extending the resources available to the clients we serve.” “Private client work demands an understanding of mor
Sysco Awards Partner of the Year Award to Grid Dynamics15.10.2026 16:15:00 EEST | Press release
Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (“Grid Dynamics”) today announced that Sysco, the global foodservice distribution leader, has named the company its Partner of the Year. The recognition honors Grid Dynamics’ approach and expertise in bringing AI into Sysco’s technology and business operations. Sysco is the global leader in foodservice distribution, generating $84.6 billion in sales for its fiscal year ended June 27, 2026, and serving approximately 670,000 customer locations across 10 countries. The partnership began in 2024 with Grid Dynamics teams working alongside Sysco across product search and discovery, digital commerce, and AI-first software development. Grid Dynamics delivered a range of projects that made everyday work easier for Sysco's associates, enhanced the customer experience, and generated measurable business value. “What makes this partnership work is how closely our teams operate together,” said Ragnarok Rocha, Vice President, Digital Commerce and Customer S
The Outcome Economy at Work – New Research From Vertage15.10.2026 16:01:00 EEST | Press release
Three in four enterprises (74%) define significant work around outcomes, but only 15% are ready to deliver it consistently, according to new global research from HR tech leader Vertage. These ‘outcome-ready’ enterprises report higher customer satisfaction (91% vs. 67%), stronger delivery of strategic goals (86% vs. 65%) and faster conversion of opportunities into value (85% vs. 64%). They also have a cultural edge: 69% of their employees understand their contribution and can adapt how they work, compared with 34% elsewhere. "AI adoption no longer separates strong businesses from the rest. Outcome readiness does," said Edzard Overbeek, Group CEO of Vertage. "The strongest businesses organize people, partners and AI around a clear result, and they keep human judgment at the center." The study, The Outcome Economy at Work, draws on 800 enterprise decision-makers and 1,200 workers across six markets, plus in-depth interviews with senior leaders. Its central finding is clear: outcome-based
Introducing Ledger Atom™—Everything You Value, Finally Secure15.10.2026 15:45:00 EEST | Press release
Ledger™, the global leader in secure infrastructure for digital ownership, today unveiled Ledger Atom™, a security and privacy device that runs your everyday apps, purpose-built to help protect your money, your AI agent approvals, and your privacy. The innovative architecture of Ledger Atom, leveraging Android™ open source alongside Ledger OS™, Ledger’s proprietary security-first operating system running on a secure element chip, allows you to approve sensitive actions in a secure environment while using all your everyday apps on a single device. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261015445765/en/ Ledger has launched Ledger Atom, a security and privacy device that runs your everyday apps, purpose-built to help protect your money, your AI agent approvals, and your privacy. Your phone is not secure, and threats targeting it are escalating; mobile zero-days nearly doubled year over year in 2025, and commercial spywa
Meet Yuvo - The All-In-One Platform Helping Travel Brands Optimize Every Stage of Their Customer's Journey15.10.2026 15:36:00 EEST | Press release
Yuvo data shows that flight disruption hit more than 913 million passengers in 2025, and travellers are now buying travel protection at six times the pre-pandemic rate. Yet for most travel brands, a delayed flight still means support calls, refunds and lost customers. Yuvo turns those moments, and every other step of the trip, into revenue and loyalty. Most travel brands earn from their customers only once: when they book. Yuvo changes that. It helps partners earn across the whole journey, with no technology to build and full control of the customer relationship. Yuvo works with some of the biggest names in travel, turning the customer relationships they already have into an ongoing revenue stream while keeping them fully in control. Built by a team of seasoned travel tech experts, the platform has already helped more than 26 million travelers through its services, improving customer experience and building loyalty worldwide. Yuvo’s Services - adding value at every stage of the journey
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