“Ten years ago…in a universe far, far away…a legend was born.”
Fellow early 2010s mindless app game users, rejoice: an old friend is about to soar back into our lives.
I speak, of course, of the other bird app game, Flappy Bird, a game that received 90 million downloads almost instantly and, at one point, earned $50k a day.
Flappy Bird's return
Indeed, it seemed like everyone was playing that frustrating-as-hell game in the early ‘10s. We all would commiserate about the inevitability of hitting green pipes, yet basked in our shared longing for ultimate flappiness. It was a rich time for all phone-havers.
However, on February 8, 2014, we all lost Flappy Bird. This was due to the game’s realtor, Dong Nguyen, becoming overwhelmed with the game’s popularity, with even paparazzi hanging out around his house.
Dong also felt the game was too addictive and felt bad for taking over users’ lives in that way. (Man, what is with these game guys and timesuck remorse?)
Yesterday, the Flappy Bird Foundation, who describe themselves as "a team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world," announced that the game will be making a comeback in 2025, first on iOS and Android and later on other platforms.
The timing feels right, as the mobile games dominating our nation seem to be…Wordle? Solitaire? We need a uniter right now, and the Bird Who Flaps just may be it.
The game’s return is a surprise, considering Dong had claimed previously that the game was officially forever deceased and that he had no interest in bringing it back.
Why is Flappy Bird coming back?
So, who is the Flappy Bird Foundation? Well, get ready for a big ol' bummer. When you dig deeper, you realize the foundation specializes in the selling of everyone’s favorite Ts, NFTs.
Yes, unfortunately, the company behind the game’s return snagged the copyright after inactivity and is using it to sling crypto. Dong himself is not directly involved here. Just take a look at this telltale community note:
It’s an unfortunate twist, but underlines how Dong has stuck to his guns, since he didn’t fight the copyright expiration. The guy really didn’t want that bird back in his life.
Social media voices their concern over Flappy Bird's return
And yeah, the Internet seems appropriately dismayed by the whole development.
Regardless, if you’re cool with the NFT of it all, Flappy Bird should return to your phone in early 2025. Have fun, I guess?
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