Zynga posts full-year profit for first time since 2010

Zynga has delivered a profitable year for the first time since 2010 thanks to an upswing in daily active users and the evolution of existing franchises. 

According to the company's financials for the year ending December 31, 2017, net income rose by $134.8 million year-over-year to $26.6 million, allowing the mobile juggernaut to post its first full-year profit in almost a decade.

Full-year revenue increased by 16 percent year-over-year to $861.4 million, driven in part by a strong Q4 showing that saw Zynga deliver its best quarterly revenue and bookings performance in nearly five years. 

The successful expansion of existing franchises was critical to that growth, and the launch of Word With Friends 2 in Q4 helped the Scrabble-inspired franchise pull in more quarterly revenue than ever before. 

Perennial racer CSR 2 also saw Q4 revenue leap up by 90 percent year-over-year, with Zynga claiming the series is now a "forever franchise." 

On top of that, the San Francisco-based outfit managed to end 2017 with its highest mobile average DAUs (daily active users) in four years, with mobile DAUs rising to 20 million during Q4.

"We had a strong holiday quarter and a great end to the year anchored by the successful new game launch of Words With Friends 2 and continued mobile momentum in our live services," explained the company.

"In 2017, we improved the fundamentals of our business and drove substantial growth across our topline, audience, profitability and operating cash flow. We’re starting 2018 with the strongest mobile game portfolio in company history, and we’re excited about the new titles we have in development across our global studios."