When Josh Wardle launchedWordlein late 2021, it would have been difficult to predict what a global phenomenon the simple word game would become. However, in seemingly no time, it took the internet by storm, and soon everyone was sharing theirWordleresults on Twitter and challenging their friends to do better. In 2022,Wordlecaught the attention of The New York Times, and it decided to buy the game from Wardle for a sum in the low seven figures.
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Wordle Archive Shuts Down
The Wordle Archive is a fan-made service that allows users toplay pastWordlepuzzlesand track their statistics. It is useful for players who might have missedWordleon certain days, or for players who hopped on the trend late and would like to play the earlier puzzles. Unfortunately, anyone who tries to visit the site now will be met with a message informing them that, due to a request from The New York Times, the archive has been shut down. The message takes on a positive tone, however, and it thanks users for past support, and it encourages players to playWordleon the official site.
This will be a disappointment to gamers wishing to accessWordle’s backlog. Although there are several other fan-madeWordlearchives, it is likely only a matter of time before they also receive requests fromThe New York Times. It is unclear whether The New York Times has any legal avenues to take down the archives, but any fan-made archives are going to have a hard time going up against a multimillion-dollar corporation.
Wordle and the Woes of Exclusivity
The New York Times is a subscription-based news service. Hence, there have been concerns that The New York Times will eventually paywallWordlebehind its subscription service. Although that has yet to happen, it does seem like The New York Times is making a push towards increasing the game’s exclusivity, and that could spell bad news for the variousclones thatWordlehas spawned.
If The New York Times is requestingWordlearchives be shut down,theWordleclones could be next. This includes games that put a unique twist onWordle, includingLewdlewhich uses lewd words,Taylordlewhich features Taylor Swift-themed words, andStar Wordlewhich makes use ofStar Wars-themed words. Without these clones around, players may find themselves restricted to oneWordlepuzzle a day yet again.
AlthoughWordle’s increasing exclusivity might benefit The New York Times, it will not sit well with many gamers who prefer the game to remain as free and as widely available as possible. It also has the potential to destroy the community ofWordlearchives andclones that have formed aroundWordleand brought gamers around the world together.
