Zynga is working with NaturalMotion to create a game that lets you play seamlessly across mobile, PC, and console. Zynga is determined to remain a "mobile-first" company but sees a huge opportunity in the cross-play market.
The announcement was made during Zynga's latest earnings call, with CEO Frank Gibeau revealing the two teams are currently hard at work on an upcoming cross-platform game, most likely a new installment in the popular CSR Racing series.
"Gamers have been excited to seamlessly play across mobile, PCs, and consoles for a long time, and recent innovations in technology, including 5G, make this a reality," Gibeau said during the call. "That's where you see a lot of billion-dollar franchises, and they're driven by free-to-play dynamics and live services, which we think we have a competitive advantage in."
Gibeau went on to discuss NaturalMotion – developer of the popular CSR Racing series – and that it was leading the charge due to its experience with Unity and Unreal engines. The first cross-platform game is expected to launch later this year.
It was also revealed during the call that, while Zynga will be publishing games on PC and console, its primary interest is creating experiences that can also be played on mobile. In other words, it's unlikely you'll see the next FarmVille game released exclusively on PS5 – but you might be able to load it up on your PC or console when at home, then log in to the same account on your phone when running errands.
The strategy is similar to the one employed by Mihoyo, which saw incredible success with Genshin Impact on PS4, PC, and mobile. Demand for cross-play experiences continues to grow, as phones slowly become viable alternatives for "hardcore" games. Zynga has been a dominant force in the mobile market for several years now, and this latest strategy is a bold new direction for the company.
Expect to see the first cross-play title from NaturalMotion and Zynga hit the market later this year.