GTA parent company Take-Two Interactive to acquire mobile games giant Zynga for $12.7bn

Take-Two Interactive has announced that it will be acquiring Zynga, one of the biggest names in the mobile gaming industry. At $12.7 billion U.S., the acquisition is set to be the biggest in the gaming industry so far. It will eclipse both Tencent’s acquisition of Supercell ($10.2 billion) and Microsoft/Xbox’s acquisition of Zenimax/Bethesda ($7.5 billion).

Take-Two Interactive is one of the biggest publishers in the video game industry. From studios and publishing banners such as 2K and Rockstar Games to multi-million dollar IPs like Grand Theft Auto and NBA2K, the company has made its mark in the industry.

Zynga’s acquisition not only opens up an opportunity for the publisher to expand in mobile game development but also to adapt as per evolving market trends.

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Take-Two Interactive’s acquisition of Zynga set to be biggest of gaming industry so far

Established in 2007 and based out of San Francisco, California, Zynga is one of the biggest names in the mobile gaming industry. It has a large and diverse portfolio consisting of games from FarmVille to Star Wars Hunters. The developer-publisher currently has nine active studios across the world.

Prior to the acquisition, Take-Two Interactive already had a mobile division, which included games such as Dragon City and Monster Legends, as well as ports of popular titles such as GTA and NBA2K. According to the official statement, going forward, they’ll operate independently under the Zynga division as part of the larger Take-Two subdivision.

Commenting on the acquisition, Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick said:

"We are thrilled to announce our transformative transaction with Zynga, which significantly diversifies our business and establishes our leadership position in mobile, the fastest-growing segment of the interactive entertainment industry. This strategic combination brings together our best-in-class console and PC franchises, with a market-leading, diversified mobile publishing platform that has a rich history of innovation and creativity."

CEO of Zynga, Frank Gibeau further added:

"Combining Zynga’s expertise in mobile and next-generation platforms with Take-Two’s best-in-class capabilities and intellectual property will enable us to further advance our mission to connect the world through games while achieving significant growth and synergies together."

While Zynga is certain to grow its own portfolio of first-party titles as well as licensed third-party games, it will be interesting to see if any of Take-Two’s IPs make their mobile debut through Zynga.