Zynga Inks Deal To Develop Disney's New Star Wars Game, Shares Up 8%

(RTTNews) - Zynga Inc. (ZNGA), a social game developer, Tuesday said it has inked a multi-year deal with Disney to develop and publish a new "Star Wars" mobile game. Shares of Zynga is currently up nearly 8 percent, following the news.

As a part of the agreement, Zynga will also assume operation of the live service of Star Wars: Commander, a free-to-play real-time strategy game developed by Disney that was launched in 2014.

The deal also includes an option for Zynga to develop a second Star Wars games as well.

"Star Wars is one of the most iconic franchises in the world and has engaged generations of fans for decades. 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," said Frank Gibeau, Zynga CEO.

"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."

Zynga said its NaturalMotion studios will oversee the development of future Zynga Star Wars mobile games, as well as the live service operations for Star Wars: Commander.

ZNGA closed Tuesday's trading at $3.74 on the Nasdaq. The stock, however, gained $0.29 or 7.75% in the after-hour trade.