Lions, and Tigers, and Puzzles! Oh, My! Zynga Launches Wizard of Oz: Magic Match Worldwide

New Match-3 Game Lets Players Swap and Swipe their Way to the EMERALD CITY™


SAN FRANCISCO, May 19, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zynga (Nasdaq:ZNGA), a leading social game developer, today announced the launch of Wizard of Oz: Magic Match, the company’s latest Match-3 offering. Licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the free-to-play game is available today on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play, Facebook and the Amazon Appstore for Kindle devices.

“The Wizard of Oz film has captured the hearts of fans across generations through an endearing story of friends working together to solve an imaginative puzzle,” said Mark Turmell, Senior Creative Director at Zynga. “Wizard of Oz: Magic Match keeps the movie magic alive with exciting Match-3 gameplay and fresh new features. Through Wizard of Oz: Magic Match, we’re excited to give fans a whole new way to interact with one of the most beloved films of all time.”

With puzzles inspired by scenes from the original film, players venture along THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD™ with DOROTHY™, the SCARECROW™, the TIN MAN™ and the COWARDLY LION™, swapping, swiping, matching and expanding tiles on their journey. Each winding turn of Wizard of Oz: Magic Match introduces cherished movie characters and iconic imagery, including the chance to spin Glinda’s Magic Wheel for in-game advantages and use Dorothy’s RUBY SLIPPERS™, Munchkin Lollipops and the Tin Man’s Axe to complete puzzles.

“The Wizard of Oz is treasured by millions of people around the world and the brand has continued to captivate audiences since its release in 1939,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Zynga is bringing this timeless brand to players through a fun puzzle game that embodies the mystery and magic of The Wizard of Oz.”

In Wizard of Oz: Magic Match, players must use all the brain, heart and courage they can muster to defeat the WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST™ on their way to the EMERALD CITY™. Although a little help from friends might just do the trick! Players can join their friends in Wizard of Oz: Magic Match through connecting on Facebook to send gifts and in-game advantages seamlessly between their phone and tablet.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with the Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment team to bring The Wizard of Oz, a story beloved by generations of people around the world, to the Match-3 category for the first time,” said Joe Kaminkow, Chief Game Designer and Senior Vice President of Slots, Zynga. “The Wizard of Oz is one of the most popular brands in Zynga’s Slots games – Hit it Rich! Slots and Wizard of Oz Slots – and we look forward to giving fans a new way to play with their favorite movie characters in Wizard of Oz: Magic Match.”

Wizard of Oz: Magic Match is available to download for free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play, Facebook and the Amazon Appstore for Kindle devices. For more information about Wizard of Oz: Magic Match, visit the game’s community channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Game logo and images can be found here: https://zynga.box.com/s/mkwb1p03q4dygz0kuxv49mqpkx1fnodo

About Zynga Inc.
Zynga Inc. is a leading developer of the world's most popular social games that are played by millions of monthly consumers. The company has created evergreen franchises such as FarmVille, Zynga Casino and Words With Friends. Zynga's NaturalMotion, an Oxford-based mobile game and technology developer, is the creator of hit mobile games in popular entertainment categories, including CSR Racing, CSR Classics and Clumsy Ninja. Zynga games have been played by more than 1 billion people around the world and are available on a number of global platforms including Apple iOS, Google Android, Facebook and Zynga.com. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. Learn more about Zynga at http://blog.zynga.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc., is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all platforms, including console, handheld, mobile and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements © & ™ Turner Entertainment Co. (s16)

Contact
Kelly Pakula
kpakula@zynga.com  
(415) 254-4462

Forward Looking Statements

This release contains forward looking statements relating to, among other things, the launch of Wizard of Oz: Magic Match on App Store for iPhone and iPad, Google Play, Facebook and the Amazon Appstore for Kindle devices, the success of the game, features for the game, including gameplay and licensed content, how and when our players play the game, the availability of certain licensed content in the game, and the ability of our players to connect to certain games through different devices. The success of the matters covered by such forward looking statements involves risks. Actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, among other things, player interest in the game and features, player interest in the Match-3 category, our relationship and agreements with platform providers, our ability to launch future features for the game in a timely manner, our ability to monetize the game and features effectively, the effectiveness of our marketing program, our ability to implement new game technology and player reaction to this technology, our ability to anticipate and address technical challenges that may arise and competition. More information about the risks Zynga faces is included in our quarterly and annual reports filed with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release. We assume no obligation to update such statements.