Last week, the founders and shareholders of Newtoy, in conjunction with Zynga’s board of directors and executive team, finalized an agreement to join forces and merge our two companies together. Today I am very proud to announce this partnership.

From the beginning, Newtoy’s mission has been to connect the world through games, which Zynga prides itself on day-in and day-out. My brother David, Michael Chow and I founded the company in 2008 with a belief that the most beloved games invite friends to share, compete, cooperate and enjoy the experience together. We launched the Games With Friends franchise as an expression of this vision, a social gaming platform singularly focused on recreating the same joy we feel sharing a game night with family, or a board game with friends.

Two years later, we still watch in amazement as over millions of people play Games With Friends more than one hour each day. People now share stories with us of how our games have become a crucial part of their daily lives, a way for them to connect with friends and loved ones that they might not otherwise be in touch with. I can’t tell you how much joy this brings to all of us at Newtoy.

When Zynga and Newtoy first engaged, it became clear that our two companies were on similar paths. As we continued exploring the idea of joining forces, both sides became more and more convinced of the incredible potential in pursuing this mission together.

It has been a long road to get here, but I am so happy to celebrate the rebirth of our studio as Zynga With Friends. Throughout this process, both the Newtoy and Zynga teams utilized a secret codename of sorts for the operation, “Jetpack.” Why this name, and not something else – like code 007? Because to us, this acquisition represents the potential to “strap jetpacks to our backs” and move faster towards our shared goal of connecting the world through games.

And that’s what we’re going to do!

Read more about the announcement here.