Flappy Bird is set to make a return, 10 years after the viral mobile game was taken offline.
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Originally launched in 2013 by video game developer Dong Nguyen and his company .Gears, Flappy Bird was a side-scrolling mobile game that tasked players with helping Faby The Bird avoid green pipes with well-timed button presses.
After a slow start, the game quickly became one of the most popular mobile phone apps and by the start of 2014, was reportedly earning Nguyen more than £38,000 ($50,000) a day through sales and in-game adverts.
However, in February the same year, Nguyen suddenly removed Flappy Bird from all platforms after apparently feeling guilty about how addictive the game was. The same year, an arcade version of the game was released, while Flappy Birds Family was launched exclusively for Amazon Fire TV. The sudden removal of the original game also meant that mobiles and iPads with Flappy Bird already installed are still being sold for £1000s.
Now, Flappy Bird is set to make a comeback. An expanded version of the game is set to launch for web browsers by the end of October 2024, while a mobile version of Flappy Bird is due to launch at some point in 2025.
“I am back,” read a post on the game’s new social media page. “Just a decade ago, I was the talk of the town and soaring to new heights with my 100 million friends. Sadly, I had to leave the fame and spotlight behind to go home and find out who I really am.”
“Thanks to my super fans, I’m refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to soar again. The decade-long mission involved acquiring legal rights and even working with my predecessor to uncage me and re-hatch the official Flappy Bird game,” the post continued.
I AM BACK!!
Just a decade ago, I was the talk of the town and soaring to new heights with my 100 million friends. Sadly, I had to leave the fame and spotlight behind to go home and find out who I really am.
Thanks to my super Flappy Bird® fans, I’m refreshed, reinvigorated,… pic.twitter.com/b4UaFZQA2r
— Flappy Bird (@flappy_bird) September 12, 2024
According to IGN, the game will be released by The Flappy Bird Foundation, “a new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world.” The foundation has acquired the trademark as well as the rights to Piou Piou vs Cactus, the mobile game that inspired the viral game.
Flappy Bird screenshots pic.twitter.com/VKNhUFvtEa
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 12, 2024
“We are beyond excited to be bringing back Flappy Bird and delivering a fresh experience that will keep players engaged for years to come. We have big plans for our little Bird,” explained Michael Roberts, the chief creative of The Flappy Bird Foundation.
The organisation is already talking about a sequel, which will feature new game modes, characters and multiplayer challenges.
In other news, the official soundtrack for season two of Arcane has been revealed, with the likes of Twenty One Pilots, Stray Kids and Fever 333 all set to feature with new tracks.
The post ‘Flappy Bird’ is coming back 10 years after it was taken down appeared first on NME.
