Zynga founder Mark Pincus claims he nearly bought Supercell for $400m
Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, has revealed that the mobile gaming company came close to acquiring Supercell for $400 million in cash during 2012. Speaking on the Deconstructor of Fun podcast, Pincus disclosed that he had reached a “handshake” agreement with Supercell CEO Ilkka Paananen to complete the purchase, but the deal was ultimately rejected by Zynga’s board of directors.
The board’s refusal came in the aftermath of Zynga’s troubled $200 million acquisition of OMGPOP, the studio behind the popular game Draw Something. That acquisition failed to deliver expected returns, prompting board skepticism about further expansion. Despite holding voting control of Zynga at the time, Pincus recalled the board’s position: “They were grumpy and they said, until you prove you can manage what you have, we don’t want you to buy anything else.”
This revelation provides insight into internal tensions at Zynga during a pivotal moment in mobile gaming history. Had the acquisition proceeded, it would have dramatically altered both companies’ trajectories. Supercell eventually became one of the world’s most successful and valuable mobile game developers, while Zynga faced continued challenges and was later acquired by Take-Two Interactive in 2022. The blocked deal illustrates how board-level governance decisions can have significant long-term consequences in the gaming industry.