Wordle Acquired by The New York Times
Wordle creator Josh Wardle has announced that his beloved game has been acquired by The New York Times. Exact terms of the deal have not been revealed, but Wardle says that he is working closely with the paper to make sure that it remains free-to-play, and that wins and streaks will continue. Apparently, the game's massive success has been a bit "overwhelming" for Wardle, and his hope is that it can continue to thrive. It's a surprising announcement to be sure, but Wardle claims that it feels natural, as the game's creation was inspired by the paper.
"I am incredibly pleased to announce that I've reached an agreement with The New York Times for them to take over running Wordle going forward. If you've followed along with the story of Wordle, you'll know that NYT games play a big part in its origins and so this step feels very natural to me," Wardle wrote on Twitter.
According to The New York Times, the game was purchased for an undisclosed sum "in the low seven figures." Unsurprisingly, the announcement has already resulted in commentary from @Zachshakked. Shakked made headlines earlier this month when he created a paid "clone" of Wordle released on the App Store without Wardle's consent. That game was removed by Apple, and Shakked has now released a different puzzle game with a different name. In a now deleted Tweet, Shakked stated that the deal "is a huge rip off for Josh," as his "clone was on track to do $50k+/day in revenue." Shakked then said he "would've bought it for low seven figures lol."
Of course, Shakked's Tweet ignore the fact that Wardle had already turned down previous offers to monetize Wordle. The sale to The New York Times allows the game to continue on as a free-to-play title, and it gets to be a part of a history that Wardle is clearly proud of. For him, that's probably a lot more meaningful!
What do you think of Wordle being sold to The New York Times? Have you been enjoying the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!