Wordle: the game phenomenon has a new owner

Ground Report | New Delhi: Who is the new owner of the Wordle game; Wordle, the online word game of the moment, was purchased on Monday, January 31 by the New York Times. The newspaper said it had paid a "seven-figure" sum to acquire the game, which despite itself had become the direct competitor of the daily's crossword puzzles.

Wordle was created in October 2021 by Josh Wardle, a software engineer living in Brooklyn. The game was built as a gift for his partner and in a few months, he already had thousands of thousands of players.

Who is the new owner of the Wordle game

Mr Wardle announced the deal in a statement posted on Twitter, saying he had "long admired the NYT's approach to their games and the respect with which they treat their players".

The New York Times said it bought the hit word game from its creator for a price "in the low seven figures".

"The Times remains focused on becoming the essential subscription for every English-speaking person seeking to understand and engage with the world. New York Times Games are a key part of that strategy," a statement said.

An update on Wordle pic.twitter.com/TmHd0AIRLX

— Josh Wardle (@powerlanguish) January 31, 2022

Wordle will remain free

Wordle will remain free to play once it makes the switch to The Times site (at least for now), and Wardle says he's working with The New York Times to preserve players' existing wins and streak data once the game moves to its new home. That said, The New York Times ' announcement leaves room for Wordle's new owner to decide whether to put the title behind its paywall going forward.

In his announcement of the sale — for a price that The New York Times ad reports is "an undisclosed price in the seven figures" — Wardle explains that the hugely popular game's runtime has "been a bit overwhelming," especially since he's the only person who actually manages the running of the entire game.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game, and are honoured to help bring Josh Wardle's beloved creation to more solvers in the months to come," said Jonathan. Knight, managing director of the New York Times. Games, in The Times announcement of the acquisition. When it moves to The New York Times, Wordle will join a range of other popular daily puzzles, including The New York Times Crossword, Mini Crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter-Boxed, Tiles and Vertex.

Jonathan Knight, the general manager of the New York Times Games, was full of praise for Wordle, who " did what few games have done before him: he captured our collective imagination and brought us a little closer together.

It is precisely this social dimension that emerged from our Wordle test. The game thus makes it possible to compare its results with other Internet users. There is therefore a certain pleasure in calibrating its performance and especially in seeing what path was taken to find the word. And having to wait until the next day to play again also creates a scarcity effect that makes you want to play again even more.

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