I like this update too, but I can't access it unfortunately. I tried to sync my progress I had saved with Google Play Games (both when game boots up and when doing it though settings), however it doesn't seem to work at all. Pressing the Connect button does show the popup, but after selecting the account and clicking continue, nothing happens. I think the button might be bugged.
I've also downgraded to a previous version and tried the same, but it still doesn't work. I was always able to upgrade the game and save my progress using Google Play Games up until this update.
Thanks for developing this game further and hopefully this issue can be resolved.