If you had free game gets bought by a prestigious newspaper on your 2022 BINGO card, then you win. Late news broke on Monday that the New York Times has purchased Wordle from Josh Wardle... for seven figures.
The purchase, announced by The Times on Monday, reflects the growing importance of games, like crosswords and Spelling Bee, in the company’s quest to increase digital subscriptions to 10 million by 2025.
NYT
Wordle was acquired from its creator, Josh Wardle, a software engineer in Brooklyn, for a price “in the low seven figures,” The Times said. The company said the game would initially remain free to new and existing players.
Between purchasing The Athletic, and now Wordle, the NYT is seriously bolstering its subscriber base purely by acquisition. I love that Wardle has said the game will remain free initially. However, NYT would be smart to make this a no-brainer $1 subscription. I would pay that in a heartbeat.
Seven figures. For a small web-based game. Let that marinate for a moment. Then let's give Josh Wardle a high-five for ending his Wordle journey with a well-deserved payoff.