‘Flappy Bird’ is Coming Back to the iPhone and Android

A decade ago, indie developer Nguyen Ha Dong from Hanoi, Vietnam, created the ultimate smash viral hit called Flappy Bird.

At the time, Flappy Bird at launch was getting 2-3 million downloads daily on iOS and Android, solely through organic reach and growth. The free game took Dong about three days to make. The game was so hard that it made it easy for people try to attain a high score.

The game was so popular it quickly surpassed 50 million downloads and was making Dong $50,000 per day from the app’s banner ad. But the attention and press became overwhelming for the developer, to the point where he said he was pulling the game from the App Store, saying, “I cannot take this anymore,” noting it was not related to legal issues.

“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” Dong told Forbes, after pulling his viral game. “But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.”

Apple later rejected Flappy Bird clones, while some people tried to sell iPhones with the game pre-installed on eBay for $90,000 USD.

Moving back to present day, the Flappy Bird Foundation has announced the return of the popular game, Flappy Bird, a decade after its original release. The revived game will include new characters, game modes, and updated features. This group is not related to Dong.

The foundation, which acquired the rights to the original Flappy Bird and its predecessor, Piou Piou vs. Cactus, has spent years working to bring the game back to fans. “It’s been a decade-long, convoluted journey to get here, but we’re so excited to finally begin sharing Flappy Bird once again with the world,” said a spokesperson for the foundation on Thursday to IGN.

New additions to the game include characters such as Peng the Penguin, Quirky the unicorn bird, Tekno the robot bird, and Trixy, the original flappy bird. The updated version will feature new game modes, including Flappy Bird through hoops, Flappy Bird rivals, and an easier mode for beginners.

Kek, the developer of Piou Piou and a founding member of the Flappy Bird Foundation, said, “Today is a milestone not just in gaming but for me personally. It’s incredible to work alongside such a dedicated team of fans and creators who are truly passionate about changing the industry narrative and together bringing the original Flappy Bird back to life.”

Flappy Bird is set to be released on iPhone and Android in 2025. Let’s wait and see how this new version compares to the original.