The New York Times announced that it has purchased Wordle, the daily word game that has become a cultural phenomenon, for an “undisclosed seven-figure price.” Wordle will add to New York Times Games’ portfolio of “original, engaging” puzzle games such as Crossword, Vertex, Tiles, Letter Boxed, Spelling Bee, and Mini Crossword.
Commenting on the future of the game, Jonathan Knight, General Manager of the New York Times Games, said in a statement: “We are very excited to be the new home and proud surrogate of this fascinating game and we will be honored to bring the valuable product created by Josh Wardle to more puzzle lovers in the coming months. Wordle is one of our games portfolio. “As part of it, it will have an exciting future by improving the user experience with the help of a team of talented engineers, designers, editors and more.”
Josh Wardle made the word game generally available in October 2021 and has since grown immensely popular, with millions of players trying to guess a five-letter word every day in six tries. More than 300,000 people played Word on the day of January 2, with the number of players increasing from 90 on November 1, 2021.
Speaking of Wordle’s acquisition by The New York Times, Wardle said: “If you’ve followed Wordle’s story, you know that New York Times Games played a huge role in the creation of [this game], so this step feels so natural to me. “I’ve long admired The Times’ approach to the quality of their games and the respect they show their players. Their values align with mine in these matters, and I’m thrilled that they will take care of the game as it progresses.”
Wardle also stated that he is working with The New York Times to ensure that your wins and streak are protected. When Wordle moves to the NYT site, new and existing players will be able to play for free, and there will be no changes to the gameplay.
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