Wordle has been purchased by The New York Times Company, which stated that it will “initially” remain free for new and existing players.
- READ MORE: Why ‘Wordle’ is all over your timeline
Yesterday (January 31), it was announced that The New York Times Company had bought Wordle for a price “in the low seven figures.”
In the same announcement, The Times said that Wordle will “initially remain free to new and existing players.”
However, much of the article references the purchase as a means to improve the company’s subscription base, suggesting that it will eventually move behind a subscription paywall.
The creator of Wordle, Josh Wardle, shared a statement on the purchase, adding that “when the game moves to the NYT site, it will be free to play for everyone.”
An update on Wordle pic.twitter.com/TmHd0AIRLX
— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) January 31, 2022
On why he sold the hit browser game to The New York Times, Wardle admitted that although he’s been “in awe of the response” to Wordle, the sudden popularity has proven “a little overwhelming.”
“If you’ve followed along with the story of Wordle, you’ll know that NYT games play a big part in its origins and so this step feels very natural to me,” added Wardle.
“I’ve long admired the NYT‘s approach to their games and the respect with which they treat their players. Their values are aligned with mine on these matters and I’m thrilled that they will be stewards of the game moving forward.”
Earlier in the month, Wardle said that he was happy with Wordle‘s non-intensive relationship with players. That being said, a lot of people seem to dislike fans who share their results on social media – and according to a behavioural and data scientist, there’s a reason why some people just hate Wordle.
In other news, the next League Of Legends champion has been announced, a Chemtech-wielding support called Rentata Glasc.