Skip to main content

Zynga calls it quits with Facebook, log-in no longer required

zynga
Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’ve got some potentially good news for you Facebook users out there who absolutely despise receiving all sorts of Zynga game invites every single day. Your prayers may have been answered – starting next week, Zynga gamers will no longer be required to login through their Facebook accounts. 

Zynga acquired its fame through the social networking site, and a perk people enjoyed was being able to easily locate Facebook friends who were also Zynga players. The removal of the Facebook login requirement allows users to declare new gamer pseudonyms within Zynga. This function kills two birds with one stone: Since Facebook’s recent policy changes require users to use their real names on their Facebook accounts, it lets gamers enjoy playing with acquaintances and strangers alike without their identities being too exposed. On Facebook’s part, it minimizes the number of members with multiple accounts – one for socializing with contacts, the other solely for gaming. Users still have the option to connect their Facebook account to Zynga if that is their preference – it will permit them to retain the progress and friends they’ve made in their games.

A lot has changed since the two companies decided to redefine their existing professional relationship, and Zynga is only reinforcing its independence from Facebook. Starting March 31 of this year, Zynga will no longer need to showcase Facebook advertisements on its site and users no longer need to use Facebook credits as game currency. Zynga may have lost their preferential treatment and will be given the same level of importance as other game developers under Facebook’s terms of service, but their new site has exclusive features that aren’t on the social networking site and enables players to play other third-party games as well as their own ones outside Facebook’s jurisdiction.

Will new Zynga’s features be enough to draw out gamers from inside Facebook?  Only time will tell.  

Editors' Recommendations

Jam Kotenko
Former Digital Trends Contributor
When she's not busy watching movies and TV shows or traveling to new places, Jam is probably on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or…
Move over, Twitch: Facebook Gaming is steadily on the rise
A crowd gathers at a Facebook Gaming event.

The world of video games and game streaming exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuck inside and far away from friends, many gamers made new acquaintances in streamers and their communities, joining together virtually as the outside world remained dangerous. Others began their streaming career from their bedrooms, hoping to find a way to pass the time, make a little money, and play the games they love for an audience.

This boom resulted in an explosion in the growth for streaming platforms. The biggest streaming platform, Twitch, raked in money as viewers subscribed to their favorite personalities and an increasing number of streamers started their own channels.

Read more
How to turn on automatic tactical sprint in Call of Duty: Vanguard
Soldiers running in Call of Duty: Vanguard promo.
Read more
Facebook Gaming expands cloud offering amid metaverse rumors
A computer monitor with a Facebook Gaming window open.

Facebook Gaming is expanding its cloud offering. The service will offer seven new games via the cloud, including titles from major intellectual properties like Harry Potter. The announcement comes amid rumblings that Facebook might be changing its company name as it attempts to refocus the brand on its metaverse efforts.

Facebook launched its cloud gaming platform last October with six titles. Since then, the library has grown to 45 games. The recent expansion included a partnership with Ubisoft that brought mobile game Assassin's Creed Rebellion to Facebook Gaming.

Read more