Newsbrief: Zynga has closed a $1.85 billion deal to acquire mobile game developer Peak, though a press release notes that the studio will keep its "unique creative culture and brand identity" following the acquisition.

The deal, made half in cash and half in Zynga shares, brings both the Istanbul-based development team and its popular match-3 franchises Toon Blast and Toy Blast into Zynga, though its HQ will remain in Istanbul with founder Sidar Sahin at its head.

In a press release, Zynga notes that the acquisition will bolster its international reach while also boosting its average mobile daily active users by more than 60 percent. 

“We are delighted to welcome Sidar and Peak’s extraordinarily talented team to Zynga,” reads a statement from Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau. “With the addition of Toon Blast and Toy Blast, we are expanding our live services portfolio to eight forever franchises, meaningfully increasing our global audience base, and adding to our exciting new game pipeline. As a combined team, we are well positioned to grow faster together.”