Zynga has announced that it is partnering with the nonprofit It Gets Better Project, which connects LGBTQ+ youths worldwide, as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusivity. Through this partnership, Zynga employee resource group zPride and parent company Take-Two will be contributing a combined $50.000 as part of the collaboration
The new partnership comes alongside Zynga’s annual Play With Pride initiative, which senior communications manager Linda Chung describes as “a celebration of its LGBTQ+ games and developers with a mission to connect the world through inclusive gaming.”
“Inclusivity doesn’t just happen – it has to be intentional, which is why the annual Play With Pride initiative is so important to us,” said zPride co-lead Lad Geake. “It’s our love note to the LGBTQ+ community around the world who enjoy our games, and a celebration of the identities of the developers who make our games.”
“We are very excited to collaborate with a partner like Zynga to expand our support for young people in the LGBTQ+ community through gaming,” said It Gets Better Project strategic partnerships manager Morgan Cohn. “Zynga has done impressive work making gaming feel more inclusive, and this partnership highlights how the LGBTQ+ community can make a positive, lasting impact by bringing diverse experiences to the industry.”
Playing with pride
As part of the event, Zynga has launched its first ever Pride Month website, featuring joint activities with It Gets Better Project, in-game events, and spotlights on six of the company’s LGBTQ+ leaders through blogs and videos.
In-game events are being held in fifteen games across Zynga’s portfolio, in what the company is calling its biggest activation yet. This includes a pride tale in Dragon City, with players being given the chance to unlock an exclusive dragon, an in-universe pride-themed quest in Game of Thrones Slots Casino featuring queer characters Oberyn and Ellaria, and the introduction of Montreal, and a new Pride Solo Challenge in Words With Friends 2.
We listed Take-Two Interactive as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022.
