Wordle has a new D-A-D-D-Y
The New York Times is buying the wildly popular word guessing game, which was made in Brooklyn so that's enough of an angle for us
The New York Times is buying Wordle, the Brooklyn-born word guessing game that has had a stratospheric rise over the past few weeks.
The Times said in a release Monday that it acquired the game for a “low-seven figures” and it will be used to bolster its growing (and profitable) Games section. Since software engineer Josh Wardle created the game in October 2021, it has exploded in popularity from about 90 people to “millions of daily players.”
“If you’re like me, you probably wake up every morning thinking about Wordle, and savoring those precious moments of discovery, surprise and accomplishment. The game has done what so few games have done: It has captured our collective imagination, and brought us all a little closer together,” said Jonathan Knight, general manager for the New York Times Games.
In a note posted to Twitter, Wardle said that the “game has gotten bigger than I ever imagined” and that the experience has become, well, draining. He created the game, after all, as a treat for his partner because the two were obsessed with word games.
An update on Wordle pic.twitter.com/TmHd0AIRLX
— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) January 31, 2022
“On the flip side, I’d be lying this hasn’t been a little overwhelming,” Wardle said. “After all, I am just one person and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.”
Importantly, Wardle said he’s working with the Times to ensure that users’ “wins and streaks will be preserved.”
Now for bad news: It’s unclear how long Wordle will remain free since the Times puts all of its games behind its paywall. Currently, the Times said that Wordle “will be free to play for new and existing players, and no changes will be made to its gameplay.”
We’re sure there’s several five-letter words that users will type if it becomes no longer free.
