May the Best Friend Win! Zynga Launches Words With Friends 2 to Global Audiences

New game features more ways to play the world’s most popular mobile word game than ever before with Solo Challenge, Lightning Round, Social Dictionary and Boosts


SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 08, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Zynga (Nasdaq:ZNGA), a leading social game developer, announced the launch of Words With Friends 2, a next-generation take on the world’s most popular mobile word game. With innovative, engaging new features inspired by eight years of Words With Friends gameplay, Words With Friends 2 is available today on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices.

Since launching in 2009, Words With Friends has been installed more than 250 million times and is one of the App Store's Top 10 free games of all time, with an estimated 57 million active Words With Friends matches being played around the world at any given moment. Words With Friends 2 pairs the classic gameplay of Words With Friends with the top features requested from the Words With Friends player community, including an AI bot-powered Solo Challenge, team versus team Lightning Round and enhanced Social Dictionary.

“As one of Zynga’s most popular and iconic forever franchises, Words With Friends continues to connect millions of people around the world every day through a shared love of social wordplay,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing, Zynga. “Words With Friends 2 honors the rich, pop-culture legacy and beloved social gameplay of Words With Friends, while introducing innovative features in the largest refresh in the game’s eight-year history. We’re proud to bring our loyal fans a brand-new experience that’s inspired by all the ways they want to play. Whether it’s teaming up in our first-ever synchronous multiplayer mode with Lightning Round or improving their vocabulary prowess in Solo Challenge, Words With Friends 2 gives players more opportunities to master their favorite word game than ever before.”

Highlighted by a refreshed, modern look and feel, Words With Friends 2 showcases top player-requested features that enhance the classic gameplay and immersive social experience of Words With Friends including:

  • Solo Challenge: Powered by the latest AI technology, WordMaster bots help players develop their strategic skills by advancing through a ladder of increasingly tough matches. Through rapid, real-time gameplay, Solo Challenge features a personalized playing experience, ensuring wordies are properly challenged in the ultimate battle of man versus machine.

  • Lightning Round: A first-ever synchronous multiplayer feature, Lightning Round introduces a brand-new way to experience the beloved gameplay of Words With Friends faster and more competitive than ever before. For the first time ever in Words With Friends, players will be able to play against more than one person in the same match by joining teams of five in a rapid-fire wordplay faceoff.
     
  • Boosts: From previewing all possible tile placements in Word Radar to uncovering the best word choice after you’ve made your move with Hindsight, the boosts in Words With Friends 2 are designed to continually build gameplay strategy and vocabulary, helping even the most accomplished player increase their word score.
     
  • Social Dictionary: Inspired by the over 5,000 new word requests submitted by players every day, Words With Friends recently launched the Social Dictionary, adding more than 50,000 new words in-game. Words With Friends 2 enhances the Social Dictionary with in-depth stats allowing players to see how they match up against opponents and the rest of the wordie community in mastering the newest Social Dictionary additions.

Over the past eight years, more than 140 billion words have been played in Words With Friends, with over 6.5 million matches created every day. In honor of the game’s 8th anniversary, Words With Friends recently surveyed over 65,000 players to uncover their views on the hottest word trends and playing preferences including:

  • 34% of players call on the letter ‘J’ as their most favored high scoring letter, followed by ‘Q’ at 28%, and ‘X’ and ‘Z’ tying for third place with 19% respectively.
  • 30% of players cited ‘Qis’ as their go-to high scoring word followed by ‘Quad’ (25%) and ‘Jeez’ (23%).
  • 37% of players play ‘Quo’ as their favorite new Social Dictionary addition followed closely by ‘Queso’ at 30%.
  • Nearly 40% of players’ favorite opponent is a friend they’ve made in-game, followed by a member of their family at 32%.

Words With Friends 2 is now available to download and play for free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad and on Google Play for Android devices. For more information, visit the game’s community channels on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Game logo and images can be found here: https://zynga.box.com/s/83d6fifviu09tjb9xmrrourjntoj6cwk 

About Zynga Inc.

Since its founding in 2007, Zynga's mission has been to connect the world through games. To-date, more than 1 billion people have played Zynga's games across Web and mobile, including FarmVille, Zynga Poker, Words With Friends, Hit it Rich! Slots and CSR Racing. Zynga's games 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., and has additional offices in the U.S., Canada, Finland, U.K., Ireland and India. Learn more about Zynga at https://companyblogdotzynga.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including those statements relating to, among other things, the launch of Words With Friends 2, the game's success and the game's features (including gameplay and social features).  Forward-looking statements often include words such as "outlook," "projected," "intends," "will," "anticipate," "believe," "target," "expect," and statements in the future tense are generally forward-looking. The achievement or success of the matters covered by such forward-looking statements involves significant risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. 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 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 web site at http://investor.zynga.com or the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

Contact:
Zynga
Erin Smith-Cheng
esmithcheng@zynga.com
(650) 224-2462