Zynga announced a partnership with the nonprofit organization called the It Gets Better Project to spread inclusitivity and diversity throughout the LGBTQ+ community this upcoming June. This collaboration has given the Zynga resource group, zPride, and the Take-Two company a new initiative for Zynga’s annual Play With Pride to donate fifty thousand dollars in order to celebrate Pride Month.
“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.”
To kick off the event, Zynga launched their first Pride Month website that hosts joint activities with the It Gets Better Project, special events within their games, and shines a spotlight on six LGBTQ+ company leaders throughout June. As mentioned before, fifteen of Zynga’s gaming catalog will include pride month related events. Multiple events will occur in nearly all of their games through this partnership with the Its Gets Better Project. The range of each event varies: some will go on for just a few weeks while others may persist for the whole month. Players are offered different chances of limited-time mini-games, rewards, and bonuses within each property. All of this aims to spread the word of the It Gets Better Project to youth worldwide.
Each game and their respective Pride Month events are as listed:
Dragon City gives players new, exclusive pride-themed dragons along with a special Pride Tale story line and Rainbow Habitats to collect.
FarmVille 3 offers a special mission with Chad Wood to help them build a pride float while FarmVille 2 will host a Pride Brunch Extravaganza where players help decorate a party space.
The Game of Thrones Casino will have a two-day pride-themed quest where Oberyn Martell and Ellaria will task the player in spinning the wheel to receive coins.
Hit It Rich will have a week-long event where special guest Elvira hosts a slew of challenges for the player to complete.
In Merge Dragons, LGBTQ+ banners and icons will become available through an event.
Monster Legends‘ Pandalf takes players on a rainbow carpet ride through tale events that celebrate pride.
Two Dots invites players to party with them in Montreal as they are offering a commemorative medallion to add to their collection through treasure hunts.
The Wonka Slot‘s group are offering a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in challenges to earn up to 300 billion in rewards and a sneak peek at the pride month machine that transports players to another world.
The Wizard of Oz Slots are treating players to a special bonus including a raffle for a Rainbow Pack at the end of June.
Titular Word With Friends 2 will have a Pride Solo Challenge that allows players to advance through the Pride Parade Route in the game to earn a Pride Art Badge.
Finally, Zynga Poker has high-value gifts offered at the end of each week for the entire month along with pride-themed decorative that the disposal of the player.
In addition to the initial donation amount, twenty thousand dollars will be given to the first United Kingdom based, Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ charity Foundation, Brave Space Alliance. Furthermore, Zynga’s zPride is joining the corporate sponsor, Gay Gaming Professionals, to offer a ten thousand dollar scholarship programs for LGBTQ+ students interested in pursuing gaming as a career.
Co-lead of zPride Lad Geake stated, “Inclusivity doesn’t just happen – it has to be intentional, which is why the annual Play With Pride initiative is so important to us. 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.”