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Zynga will be bringing a galaxy far, far away directly to people’s phones.
The developer has struck a multiyear deal with Disney to develop a mobile game based in the Star Wars universe. New Star Wars titles will be managed by the San Francisco company’s NaturalMotion studio, which is based out of the U.K.
As part of the deal, Zynga and NaturalMotion will also assume operation of the live service for Star Wars: Commander, a free-to-play game that Disney Interactive launched in 2014.
“Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and has engaged generations of fans for decades,” Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau said Tuesday in a statement. “As game makers and moviegoers, we’re huge fans of Star Wars and are excited to create new experiences for players that bring this beloved brand to life. We look forward to extending the reach of the Star Wars universe and developing a new mobile game that entertains players for years to come and has the potential to be a future forever franchise for Zynga.”
Added Kyle Laughlin, senior vp games and interactive experiences at Disney: “The opportunity with Zynga is the latest step in our mobile games licensing strategy, which pairs Disney characters and stories with proven partners to create unique games for our fans. Zynga’s expertise in developing successful games and running live services makes them an ideal partner and we look forward to further expanding the Star Wars universe through these new experiences.”
This isn’t the first time that Disney has brought the Star Wars franchise to game players. The company has released dozens of video games and mobile games featuring Star Wars characters and settings over the years, including teaming with EA in 2015 to launch Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.
