The Press Release:
New York Times Games have captivated solvers since the launch of The Crossword in 1942. Our experts create engaging word and visual games — in 2014 we introduced The Mini crossword, followed by Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles and Vertex. Our games were played more than 500 million times in 2021, and in December, we reached one million Games subscriptions.
As The Times looks to entertain more solvers with puzzles every day — especially during these anxious times — we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired Wordle, the stimulating and wildly popular daily word game that has become a cultural phenomenon. Wordle, which gives players six tries to guess a five-letter mystery word, will join New York Times Games’s portfolio of original, engaging puzzle games that delight and challenge solvers every day.
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. Our games already provide original, high-quality content and experiences every single day. 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.
Since Josh Wardle, a software engineer in Brooklyn, released the guessing game to the public in October 2021, Wordle exploded in popularity and has rapidly become a daily obsession for solvers. 90 people played the game on November 1. Nearly two months later, 300,000 people played it. Now, the puzzle has millions of daily players.
“If you’re like me, you probably wake up every morning thinking about Wordle, and savoring those precious moments of discovery, surprise and accomplishment. 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,” said Jonathan Knight, general manager for The New York Times Games. “As part of our portfolio of games, Wordle will have an exciting future with the help of a team of talented engineers, designers, editors and more, furthering the user experience.”
Wardle added, “If you’ve followed along with the story of Wordle, you’ll know that New York Times Games play a big part in its origins, and so this step feels very natural to me. I’ve long admired The Times’s approach to the quality of 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.”
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.
Wordle was acquired for an undisclosed price in the low-seven figures.
*** end of transmission ***
Piercing Ken Thoughts: So there you have it. The New York Times now owns that game that you all have been broadcasting across your Facebook profiles over the last few weeks. Truth be told, I love word games but haven’t played this one yet. I tend to stick with a traditional “Scrabble” or “Words With Friends” when I choose to do this kind of gaming but I guess I should start following the masses and seeing what it is all about. What do you readers think about this news? Chime in down below in the comments section and feel free to post your high scores even because maybe that will spark me into giving it a whirl. See you next time, please keep safe out there.
Official: http://www.thenewyorktimes