In a naked attempt to jazz up its own games section in response to the Vulture 10x10, the New York Times announced Monday that it has acquired Wordle, the viral word game that has turned your Twitter feed into an endless collage of green and yellow squares. In a press release, the newspaper states that it acquired the game from its creator, Brooklyn-based software engineer Josh Wardle, “for an undisclosed price in the low-seven figures.†“We could not be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game,†said Times general manager of games Jonathan Knight in a statement.
Wardle also released a statement about the sale, assuring players: “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.†But the Times statement tells readers that the game — which up until now had been free to play, ad free, and did not require downloading an app — will only “initially†remain free, making no guarantees about how long that will be. As of now, a New York Times games subscription costs $40 for one year. So you fill in the blanks.