Inside Zynga’s Play With Pride initiative and its evolving approach to representation

• The company's 2026 theme, Unity, focuses on bringing together teams, studios and communities around a shared commitment to inclusion.
• Development teams now proactively approach zPride ahead of Pride Month to discuss representation and campaign ideas.
• Zynga says LGBTQIA+ characters and themes introduced through Play With Pride have remained part of many games.

Over the last several years, Zynga has used Pride Month as an opportunity to highlight LGBTQIA+ representation across its portfolio of games through its Play With Pride initiative.

What originally began as an effort to increase visibility for players, developers and allies has since become an integral part of the company’s wider inclusion efforts. 

Today, Play With Pride extends across multiple Zynga studios and titles, with teams incorporating Pride-themed content, characters and community initiatives into their games. 

According to Zynga, the initiative has evolved considerably since its early years, with development teams now proactively seeking ways to participate and include more representation in its games. 

Throughout Pride Month, Zynga also supports the initiative through a range of activities, including employee spotlights and community engagement.

To learn more about how the programme has developed and what lessons the company has learned along the way, PocketGamer.biz spoke with zPride executive sponsor and vice president of information security Chris Garlington.

Building the initiative 

When Play With Pride first launched, incorporating LGBTQIA+ representation into games often required conversations with development teams around priorities, timelines and content planning. 

However, over time, Garlington says that dynamic has shifted significantly.

“Play With Pride was launched as a way to recognise and show inclusion and representation to those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies in the development and player community,” Garlington says.

“Fast forward to 2026, and we often have development teams reaching out to us ahead of Pride Month, asking about our theme for the year as they proactively want to include more representation in the game.” 

Garlington adds that many of the LGBTQIA+ characters and themes introduced through previous campaigns have remained part of Zynga’s games after Pride Month has ended. 

Looking at the wider LGBTQIA+ landscape, Garlington points to both social progress and increased visibility as important milestones over the years.

He touches on milestones such as the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships, anti-discrimination protections and marriage equality in many places, which have helped to create a shift in LGBTQIA+ life “from survival toward recognition and equal rights”.

He also notes that greater representation across entertainment and media has played an important role in helping people feel seen. 

“More LGBTQIA+ characters in film/TV and more mainstream coverage helped reduce stigma by making LGBTQIA+ people feel visible and real. It also showed communities why representation matters not just for acceptance, but for belonging.”  

The meaning behind “Unity”

This year’s Play With Pride campaign has been centred around the theme of Unity.

For Garlington, the concept reflects the strength that comes from bringing together different teams, studios and communities around a shared purpose. 

Unity, he explains, is about more than simply working alongside one another. It means "embracing our differences while recognising the shared purpose that connects us”.

“It means listening to one another, learning from one another and showing up for one another in meaningful ways. When we lead with unity, we create a culture where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

That philosophy is one that extends to both the people making games and those playing them. Garlington believes that lasting inclusion efforts need to consider both audiences.

“Players and developers are more likely to engage and stay when they feel seen and respected,” he explains. 

According to Garlington, that visibility helps strengthen community ties and player loyalty while also supporting workplace culture and talent retention across development teams.

Making inclusion part of development

One of the biggest changes Garlington has observed is that Play With Pride has become deeply embedded in development workflows. 

In the initiative’s early years, teams were largely focused on balancing participation with existing production deadlines and roadmap commitments. However, over time, teams began to see the benefits of the community response and engagement. 

“Once the first year was completed, teams started to see the daily engagement increase during the month, the positive feedback the campaign received, and that it gave the development teams something fun to work on.

“Since the initial couple of years, teams now reach out to zPride to pitch what they’re planning to incorporate into the game for feedback.”

For him, that shift signals something important beyond the annual campaign itself: “This is an indication of adoption and shows how teams see LGBTQIA+ inclusion as part of normal development operations.”

Beyond Pride Month

While Pride Month itself remains a key moment in the calendar, Garlington stresses that support for LGBTQIA+ employees and players continues throughout the year. 

“Through the year, at least quarterly, zPride hosts or facilitates an event to bring awareness, support or celebrate the members of the LGBTQIA+ community,” he says. 

The group also works internally to support employees amid broader social and legislative developments affecting the LGBTQIA+ community, while helping raise awareness across Zynga.

Looking back on the initiative’s growth, Garlington believes one of the most important lessons for companies seeking meaningful inclusion is ensuring those efforts become part of everyday processes rather than one-off campaigns. 

“Make inclusion part of the workflows for all involved in the development process and don't make it a special event only during June,” he says.

He also encourages developers to actively listen to players and the wider community.

“Listen to player feedback and take some suggestions for inclusion in the game development process,” he says. “Create a safer community for both player and development teams and educate the community when possible and avoid harmful stereotypes.” 

For Zynga, Play With Pride has evolved from a Pride Month initiative into a broader framework for representation and inclusion across the company, not just for players but for teams as well. 

Garlington states that as those teams continue to build inclusivity into their own development process, this serves as one of the clearest indicators of progress being made.