Viral word game, ‘Wordle’, has been acquired by The New York Times, announced the latter on Monday afternoon.
“What’s nice about Wordle is how simple, pleasant and attractive the computer interface is,” said Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times Crossword, adding, “it’s a great puzzle, and it doesn’t take long to play, which make it perfect for our age when people have short attention spans.”
The exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, other than saying the price was the low seven figures.
“I’ve long admired The Times’s approach to the quality of their games and the respect with which they treat their players,” said Josh Wardle, creator of the game. “Their values are aligned with mine on these matters and I’m thrilled that they will be stewards of the game moving forward.”
“If you’re like me, you probably wake up every morning thinking about Wordle and savoring those precious moments of discovery, surprise and accomplishment,”
“We could not be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game and are honored to help bring Mr. Wardle’s cherished creation to more solvers in the months ahead,” said said Jonathan Knight, general manager for The New York Times Games.
It’s unclear if the NYT will bring Wordle to mobile phones, instead of just being accessed on a website. Previous unofficial Wordle clones were removed from the App Store.
The NYT said Wordle will still be free to play for new and existing players, with “no changes” made to its gameplay. This paywalled NYT story on the acquisition says, “the company said the game would initially remain free to new and existing players.”
An update on Wordle pic.twitter.com/TmHd0AIRLX
— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) January 31, 2022
Wordle started out as a pandemic game creation by Wardle for his girlfriend, and quickly amassed over 300,000 players two months after its launch on November 1, 2021.
According to Wardle, he says he is working with NYT to ensure the game remains free to play for everyone and that existing wins and streaks “will be preserved.”
Other games offered by the NYT include Spelling Bee and The Crossword.
