Barely a year after it launched, Zynga has put a hit out on Mafia Wars 2.
In a message to players posted on Facebook, Zynga has announced that Mafia Wars 2 will take a dirt nap at the end of December. “We’re sorry to inform you that Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook will be shutting down on December 30, 2012,” the company wrote. “Thank you for your time in Mafia Wars 2. We look forward to seeing you again in other Zynga games.”
It was almost exactly one year ago that concerns about Zynga’s latest games, including Mafia Wars 2, began to surface, just ahead of the company’s IPO. Analysts expressed concern that Zynga was having trouble retaining players, as its new releases were peaking and then fading away at ever-faster rates; Mafia Wars 2 topped out just eight days after its launch in October 2011 and now pulls in just 20,000 daily active users and 280,000 monthly active users.
That may not sound terrible but it pales in comparison to the original Mafia Wars, which is still in operation and draws 290,000 daily active users at 1.1 million monthly active users. Zynga’s share price has followed a similar trajectory, from its IPO price of $10 to a current mark of $2.25.
Fortunately, Mafia Wars 2 fans aren’t being left out in the cold completely. Zynga is offering all players a “one-time, complimentary bonus package” in CastleVille, ChefVille, FarmVille 2, YoVille or, of course, Mafia Wars. The final curtain falls on December 30.
