The Wordle Creator Shares The Reasons Why Selling It To The NYT Is A Great Thing Despite Everyone Freaking Out

The Wordle Creator Shares The Reasons Why Selling It To The NYT Is A Great Thing Despite Everyone Freaking Out

Wordle


  • It was announced on Monday that Josh Wardle, the creator of Wordle, is selling the game he created for his girlfriend to the New York times for low seven figures
  • Fans of the wildly popular underground word game Wordle were quick to panic on social media but the creator released a statement assuaging their fears
  • Read more articles on BroBible right here

Many fans of the incredibly popular world game Wordle were shocked by Monday’s news that Wordle creator Josh Wardle sold his game to the NYT for ‘low seven figures.’ The first reactions from Wordle fans were ‘they’re going to ruin it!’ (they won’t) and then everyone started making jokes about how we should all make games and name them after ourselves.

Wordle creator Josh Wardle released a statement on Twitter in an effort to calm fans of his game down. He didn’t need to explain himself but he did. The reality here is he created the game for his girlfriend and it exploded in popularity. He previously worked at Reddit for a decade in various roles and currently has another job.

Anyone claiming he should’ve held onto the game and monetized it himself is missing the point. Wardle just sold his hobby Wordle for ‘low seven figures’ and we should all be celebrating the fact that someone made a fortune off of their side hustle. And anyone who thinks the New York Times will ruin the game by putting it behind a paywall isn’t paying attention, the NYT already has a daily mini crossword and other games they give away for free and you don’t need to login to play them.

Wordle Creator Shares Reasons Why Selling To The NYT Is Great

Let’s take a look at some of those quotes and read between the lines. Josh says “I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been a little overwhelming After all. I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.” To keep Wordle going himself he would’ve needed to hire a staff of his own and devote serious resources to it. Instead, he seized the opportunity to cash in on his game’s popularity and leave the game in great hands.

Josh went on to say “I am incredibly pleased to announce that I’ve reached an agreement with The New York Times for them to take over running Wordle going forward. 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.” I haven’t really followed the game’s origins as closely as others but from the first time I played Wordle it was obvious that it aligned with other word games like the daily crossword puzzle (and mini) as well as Spelling Bee. The Times knows that if they put the game behind a paywall nobody will play. That will not happen.

How do I know that the New York Times won’t put Wordle behind a paywall? Well, he came out and said exactly that. “When the game moves to the NYT site, it will be free to play for everyone, and I am working with them to make sure your wins and streaks will be preserved.”

Surely fans of the game saw his statement and chilled out about the news, right? Nope.

Social Media Reacts To NYT Acquisition News With Anger

If that tweet above didn’t load and you’d like to read the full statement from Wordle founder Josh Wardle, here you go:

“An update on Wordle, Since launching Wordle, I’ve been in awe of the response from everyone that has played. The game has gotten bigger than I ever imagined (which I suppose isn’t that much of a feat given I made the game for an audience of 1). It has been incredible to watch a game bring so much joy to so many, and I feel so grateful for the personal stories some of you have shared with me from Wordle uniting distant family members, to provoking friendly rivalries to supporting medical recoveries.

On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been a little overwhelming. After all. I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone. Given this, I am incredibly pleased to announce that I’ve reached an agreement with The New York Times for them to take over running Wordle going forward. 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.

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. When the game moves to the NYT site, it will be free to play for everyone, and I am working with them to make sure your wins and streaks will be preserved. Thank you all for playing and making Wordle an unforgettable experience.
Josh

Conspiracy theorists are pointing to the fact that Wardle and the New York Times say nothing will change initially. This, of course, leaves a world of opportunity for change in the future. There are no guarantees that Wordle won’t be changed six months from now or a year from now.

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Cass Anderson is the Editor-in-Chief of BroBible. Based out of Florida, he covers an array of topics including NFL, Pop Culture, Fishing News, and the Outdoors.