EA vs Zynga

Yahoo Expands Games Business with Casual Web Games

Yahoo Games has seen its daily active users grow by over 60% since its January relaunch, adopting a casual, web-based gaming strategy similar to those of LinkedIn and The New York Times. Andrew Pedersen, Yahoo's head of games, reported that gameplay clicks have increased by nearly 25% since the beginning of the year. Yahoo, which registers around 250 million monthly unique visitors, monetizes its casual gaming lineup—featuring in-house titles like Solitaire Roadtrip and Mini Crossword—through a combination of advertising and in-app purchases. To boost engagement, Yahoo partnered with King to exclusively host 'Crushable,' a puzzle game set in the Candy Crush universe, in the United States. The platform plans to maintain its momentum by blending original in-house titles with licensed games.

• Yahoo Games' daily active users have grown by more than 60% since its relaunch in January.
• Gameplay clicks on Yahoo's platform have increased by nearly 25% since the start of the year.
• Yahoo partnered with King to exclusively host the Candy Crush spin-off game 'Crushable' in the US.

Twitch Opens Sponsorships to Affiliates Worldwide

Twitch has expanded its sponsorship programme to allow Affiliates globally to participate in select brand campaigns, provided they accept portal terms and complete creator sponsorship certification. The platform partnered with creator-marketing company Wehype to surface additional campaign opportunities inside Twitch's Sponsorship Dashboard; an EA Battlefield sponsorship is available via Wehype this week. Twitch also updated creator profile tools so partners and Affiliates can share channel and sponsorship information with brands and highlight sponsored clips.

• Twitch opened its sponsorship programme to Affiliates globally, allowing Affiliates to be included in select brand campaigns.
• More than 50% of paid streamers in Twitch's recent Minecraft campaigns were Affiliates.
• Twitch partnered with Wehype to surface additional sponsorship opportunities inside its Sponsorship Dashboard.

Discord launches Play Quest+ for outcome-based ads

Discord introduced Play Quest+, a new ad format that rewards players for completing tracked in-game actions by linking their Discord and game accounts. Using Discord’s Social SDK and Events API, Play Quest+ lets brands measure and pay out rewards for event-based behaviors (finishing matches, tutorials, playing with friends). The first campaign will run with Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 6 in early September. Discord frames the launch as a step toward full-funnel, outcome-driven ad products as it expands monetization (Shop in servers, game stats widgets, Social SDK to mobile) while preparing for life as a public company. Analysts and community experts note the potential for better conversion data but warn Discord must preserve community trust and make rewards meaningful to players.

• Discord launched a new ad format called Play Quest+ to drive and measure in-game actions.
• Play Quest+ requires players to accept a Quest and link Discord and game accounts so Discord can automatically track progress.
• The format uses Discord’s Social SDK and Events API to integrate with game ecosystems.

Jonathan Knight Promoted to Chief Games Officer at NYT

Jonathan Knight has been promoted to the newly expanded role of chief games officer at The New York Times, where he will continue to lead the publication's games operation. Knight, who joined NYT in September 2020, has overseen the growth of its games portfolio, including the acquisition and integration of Wordle and the launch of Crossplay. His responsibilities include managing the P&L and publishing pipeline for popular games such as The New York Times Crossword, Spelling Bee, Connections, Strands, and Pips. Before joining NYT, Knight held senior positions at Warner Bros. Games, Zynga, and Electronic Arts, with a track record of leading major game franchises and large teams. The appointment reflects NYT's continued investment in games as a key engagement and subscription driver.

• Jonathan Knight has been appointed chief games officer at The New York Times.
• Knight joined The New York Times in September 2020.
• He previously served as SVP and Head of Games at The New York Times.

Zynga News: Top Eleven Brings Roshn Saudi League and Global Superstars to 2026/27 Season

Zynga's news page has been updated with new press releases, including Top Eleven's partnership with the Roshn Saudi League, Zynga Poker's collaboration with Keegan-Michael Key, and Spades Plus teaming up with NBA All-Star Anthony Edwards.

Top Eleven Brings Roshn Saudi League and Global Superstars to 2026/27 Season

Zynga's Top Eleven game adds the Roshn Saudi League and global superstars for the 2026/27 season.