UPDATED: “Puzzles & Spells” Introduces Festive Features and a Christmas Collection Event

by · December 22, 2020

UPDATE (January 19, 2021):

Zynga has announced that Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is now available in South Korea on the Apple App Store and Google Play, fully localized in Korean. South Korea is home to an avid gaming community and experienced a big boost in mobile game downloads at the start of the pandemic.

In addition to this launch, the below-announced avatar customizations inspired by Zayn Malik are now available worldwide.

Press Release

Zynga Launches Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells in South Korea

Award-winning hit mobile game released on the Apple App Store and Google Play in South Korea

WHO:

Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced that Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells has launched in South Korea. Officially licensed from Warner Bros. Games and published under the Portkey Games label, this award-winning mobile game has begun rolling out to players in South Korea, fully localized in Korean.

WHAT:

Recipient of a Google Play 2020 Award for Best Casual Game and Apple App Store Editors’ Choice Award, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is now available for free download on the Apple App Store and Google Play in South Korea. Players in this region can access all current and previously released content, featuring more than 1,000 magic-infused [m]atch-3 puzzles inspired by the story of Harry Potter and the wizarding world.

Alongside the game’s launch in South Korea, beginning today, all players of the game can access new avatar customizations inspired by recording artist and Harry Potter fan Zayn Malik. These customizations, including new beard, earring, eyebrow, hair and eye options, were developed to create Malik’s avatar in December and are rolling out now in-game to all players.

QUOTE:

“Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells has earned awards and recognition for its compelling gameplay and authentic portrayal of the beloved characters, locations and magic of the series,” said Bernard Kim, President of Publishing at Zynga. “But it also brings a spirit of competition to the Wizarding World, as players join in-game [c]lubs with other fans to rise through the ranks of global leaderboards. As some of the most avid and competitive gamers in the world, we’re excited to welcome players in South Korea to enjoy the magic, community and [c]lub competition of Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells.”

BACKGROUND:

In Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, players enter a [m]atch-3 adventure brimming with the spells, humour, colour and characters of the Harry Potter series. Featuring the soundtrack and voice[-]over recordings from the original Harry Potter films, fans follow an authentic, mobile retelling of Harry’s journey through the wizarding world. Earning spells and special boosts as they advance, players solve [m]atch-3 puzzles populated with hopping Chocolate Frogs [and] fluttering [w]inged [k]eys, battling wizard’s [sic] chess pieces and other unexpected obstacles and objects. In the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition at Hogwarts, players can join or form clubs with other fans to socialise, collaborate on puzzle strategies, share lives and vie for prizes in exclusive Club Events.

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is playable on iOS and Android devices worldwide, as well as on Amazon Kindle and Facebook. For more information and to connect with other fans, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and visit the game’s website at www.harrypotterpuzzlesandspells.com.

After being released a few months ago, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is celebrating the holidays this month with a number of new features. Holiday decor and wintry weather will bring a festive atmosphere to the game. A new Christmas in the Wizarding World album will allow players to collect Christmas-themed cards for a limited time, which will earn them a unicorn as their companion magical creature.

On the gameboard, falling snowflakes can be collected for rewards, and colorful Wizard Cracker boosts will drop into puzzles to help players blast away gems.

Puzzles & Spells is also teasing that its social media channels will offer even more surprises during the final week of the year, starting on Christmas Eve, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

In addition, musician and Harry Potter fan Zayn Malik, who helped promote the match-three game at its launch, has been continuing to work with the team at Zynga to create new customization items for the game’s avatars. Malik inspired new eye, eyebrow, earring, and beard customizations, which will be available to all players in the new year. Take a look at his new avatar below.

 

Zayn Malik's avatar in "Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells"

 

Malik expressed how much he enjoyed working on these elements:

I feel like seeing the animated version of myself in the game made it way more fun, and with these new customizations that are coming soon, all players will have the opportunity to feel more connected to the game and make their character look more like themselves!

A statement from Yaron Leyvand, Senior Vice President of Social Casino & Casual Games at Zynga, summed up the reasoning for this month’s special features:

As any fan of the ‘Harry Potter’ books and films knows, Christmas at Hogwarts is a very special time. For the first winter holiday for ‘Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells,’ we wanted to treat players to a range of new content and seasonal rewards, released throughout December. We’re excited to celebrate the season with players and also have many more magical [m]atch-3 events and activities in store for next year.

Have you been enjoying Puzzles & Spells so far?

Press Release

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Welcomes Winter Holidays with Christmas-themed Collection Event, New Magical Creature and Social Surprises Throughout December

Zayn Malik Shows Signature Style with Special Avatar and Message for Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Fans

WHO:

Zynga Inc. (Nasdaq: ZNGA), a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced that winter holiday celebrations are rolling out in its recently released mobile game, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells. Officially licensed from Warner Bros. Games and published under the Portkey Games label, players of the game will be treated to a series of seasonal festivities throughout December, from special limited-time collection events to a host of holiday decor and surprises.

WHAT:

In the game, players can collect cards to complete the new, limited-time ‘Christmas in the Wizarding World’ album to earn a mythical [u]nicorn as their companion magical creature. Later in the month, holiday decor and weather will turn Hogwarts into a wintry, wizarding wonderland, as players encounter falling snowflakes on their gameboard that can be collected to earn rewards. Bringing a bang to the festivities, brightly colored ‘Wizard Cracker’ boosts will drop into the puzzles unexpectedly, giving players the gift of an extra gem-clearing blast as they complete puzzles in this magical, [m]atch-3 game.

Bringing style to the season, international artist and known Harry Potter fan Zayn Malik has worked closely with the Zynga team to create new customization elements for the magical [m]atch-3 title. To replicate more life-like features for his avatar in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, Zayn worked to create new eyebrow, earring, beard and eye customizations, which will be available in-game to all players in the new year. Malik has shared artwork of his in-game avatar on his own social [media] channels in December, with an invitation for his fans and fellow gamers to share images of their own.

Additionally, as the calendar arrives [on] Christmas Eve, players can also visit the Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells social [media] channels for more surprises and holiday cheer during the last week of the year.

QUOTES:

“I really enjoyed working with the Zynga team [and] coming up with new elements to the avatar creator,” said Zayn Malik. “I feel like seeing the animated version of myself in the game made it way more fun, and with these new customizations that are coming soon, all players will have the opportunity to feel more connected to the game and make their character look more like themselves!”

“As any fan of the Harry Potter books and films knows, Christmas at Hogwarts is a very special time,” said Yaron Leyvand, Senior Vice President of [Social Casino & Casual] Games at Zynga. “For the first winter holiday for Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, we wanted to treat players to a range of new content and seasonal rewards, released throughout December. We’re excited to celebrate the season with players and also have many more magical [m]atch-3 events and activities in store for next year.”

BACKGROUND:

In Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, players enter a [m]atch-3 adventure brimming with the spells, humour, colour and characters of the Harry Potter series. Featuring the soundtrack and voiceover recordings from the original Harry Potter films, fans follow an authentic, mobile retelling of Harry’s journey through the wizarding world. Earning spells and special boosts as they advance, players solve [m]atch-3 puzzles populated with hopping Chocolate Frogs, fluttering Winged Keys, battling wizard chess pieces and other unexpected obstacles and objects. In the spirit of camaraderie and friendly competition at Hogwarts, players can join or form clubs with other fans to socialise, collaborate on puzzle strategies, share lives and vie for prizes in exclusive Club Events.

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is playable on iOS and Android devices worldwide, as well as on Amazon Kindle and Facebook. For more information and to connect with other fans, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and visit the game’s website at www.harrypotterpuzzlesandspells.com.

 

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Catherine Lai

I have been a fan of Harry since 2000, a fan of MuggleNet since 2005, and a MuggleNet team member since 2013. I believe in the power of stories to bring people together, and nothing does that quite like Harry Potter. I live in Toronto, Canada.