'The New York Times' Purchased Everyone's Favorite Free Game, Wordle, for a Hefty Sum
How much did Wordle sell for? The free puzzle game was just bought by 'The New York Times' for a lot of money. Here's how much.
Feb. 1 2022, Published 11:44 a.m. ET
One of the things fans love about playing Wordle is how accessible the game is. As long as there's an internet connection, anyone can play. Pair that with the simplicity of the game, and it's no wonder Wordle has gotten so popular so fast.
With millions of daily players, some people figured it was only a matter of time before someone offered to buy the game. And on Jan. 31, 2022, its creator, Josh Wardle, announced that he sold Wordle to The New York Times. But how much did Wordle sell for? For a free game, it was pretty expensive.
How much did Wordle sell for?
In an article The New York Times wrote about its acquisition of Wordle, there wasn't an exact number given for how much the game cost the publication. It did say that it sold for "a price 'in the low seven figures.'" So, at the very least, the sale has made Josh a millionaire.
As part of a statement Josh posted to Twitter to explain the decision to sell, he clarified why he felt like believed selling the game to the company was the right move. "New York Times Games play a big part in its origins and so this step feels very natural to me," he wrote.
Will Wordle still be free?
According to The New York Times, Wordle will still be free ... for now. The publication wrote that the game would "initially remain free to new and existing players." It's unclear how long the free period will last and when the company will decide to implement a paywall, but current Wordle players might want to start counting their days.
"The Times remains focused on becoming the essential subscription for every English-speaking person seeking to understand and engage with the world," the company said in a statement. "New York Times Games are a key part of that strategy."
Currently, NYT also owns other games like the famous crossword puzzle, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles, and Vertex. The company said that its games were played more than 500 million times in 2021.
Currently, you can subscribe to The New York Times Games for $5 a month or be billed $40 for an annual plan. There's also an app available for both iOS and Android devices.
