New York Times acquires viral game Wordle for seven-figure price
Wordle, which was created by a Reddit programmer and debuted in October, allows users only six guesses to discover a five-letter word that varies every day.
FollowThe New York Times revealed on Monday that it has purchased the viral word game Wordle for an unknown seven-figure price. Wordle, which was created by a Reddit programmer and debuted in October, allows users only six guesses to discover a five-letter word that varies every day. Since its inception, the calming daily puzzle has become a smash hit, attracting hundreds of thousands, then millions, of players. Social media posts about its game of the day, as well as images of the game's unusual grid, have become commonplace.
Josh Wardle, who designed the game for his puzzle-loving partner, told the Guardian earlier this month that he was overwhelmed by the game's viral popularity. The purchase, revealed by the Times on Monday, underscores the rising importance of games like crossword puzzles and Spelling Bee in the company's goal of reaching 10 million digital subscriptions by 2025.
Wordle was purchased for a fee "in the low seven figures" from its founder, Josh Wardle, a software engineer in New York, according to the Times. According to the firm, new and existing users will be able to play the game for free at first.
Wardle stated in a statement that he was "thrilled" that the New York Times "would be the custodians of the game moving ahead" and praised the newspaper's "approach to games and the care with which they treat their players." "To me, this step feels quite natural," he added.
"To be honest, it doesn't feel fantastic that it's gone viral. I feel a feeling of obligation to the players. "I feel like I owe it to them to maintain things going and make sure everything is in functioning order," Wardle explained. "It's not my full-time work," he added, "and I don't want it to become a cause of worry and concern in my life."
Wordle — the term is a play on its creator's name — has seen a meteoric growth. It debuted in October on a no-frills, ad-free website and has 90 users as of November 1. According to the Times, that figure had risen to 300,000 by the middle of January, and millions now play the game on a regular basis.
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