Hit game Wordle heading to The New York Times
Heads up puzzlers: Everyone's current obsession, Wordle, is heading to the New York Times. The company announced Monday that it acquired the popular word game for an amount in the "low seven figures."
"Our games already provide original, high-quality content and experiences every single day," The Times said in a press release announcing the acquisition. "Wordle will now play a part in that daily experience, giving millions more people around the world another reason to turn to The Times to meet their daily news and life needs."
For those who have never played Wordle, getting started is simple. You have six chances to guess a certain five letter word. If a letter you've chosen is in the word but in the wrong space, the box turns yellow. Choose the right letter in the right spot, and the box will turn green. You can only play once a day, and the game is currently hosted on a simple, ad-free website.
The game was created by Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle in October 2021 as a gift to his wife, according to The New York Times. In the three months since its launch, the game has garnered millions of daily players, the Times said, many of whom delight in sharing their high (and low) scores on social media.
Wardle tweeted Monday that the response to the game has been "incredible" but "overwhelming."
"I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone," he said, adding, "Given this, 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."
Wardle also said that he is working with the company to ensure that players' streaks and data are saved when the game moves to the Times' platform. The Times did not guarantee the game would stay free, but said that "At the time it moves to The New York Times, Wordle will be free to play for new and existing players, and no changes will be made to its gameplay."
"If you're like me, you probably wake up every morning thinking about Wordle, and savoring those precious moments of discovery, surprise and accomplishment," Jonathan Knight, general manager for The New York Times Games, said in the release. "The game has done what so few games have done: It has captured our collective imagination, and brought us all a little closer together. We could not be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game, and are honored to help bring Josh Wardle's cherished creation to more solvers in the months ahead."