The New York Times acquires Wordle

The hit free online daily word game Wordle has been acquired by The New York Times' Games division for a 'low seven figure' sum.

The popular game was created by software engineer Josh Wardle in October 2021. It features a daily word challenge, and it is entirely free with no advertising or any form of monetisation method.

The New York Times says no changes will be made to the gameplay and it will remain free to use.

The publications' other games includes The Crossword, The Mini crossword, Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles and Vertex. The firm says its games were played more than 500 million times in 2021.

"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," Wardle says. "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."

Jonathan Knight, general manager of The New York Times Games, added: "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. 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."