Remember Flappy Bird, the side-scrolling iPhone game that paved the way for several imitators? Then it disappeared, pulled by its creator Dong Nguyen in 2014.
A self-described “team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world” says it has acquired the rights to Flappy Bird and The Flappy Bird Foundation Group will relaunch the game on Android and iOS in 2025. Nguyen is not happy about it if his terse comment on X is to be believed. He said he had nothing to do with the revival and that he “did not sell anything”. He added: “I also don’t support crypto.” But he didn’t go against anything the “foundation” has announced, primarily acquiring “the rights from Gametech Holdings, LLC”.
When Flappy Bird was abruptly shutdown in 2014, there were several clones on app stores. Though Ngyuen expressed interest in relaunching the game at the time, Apple’s App Store rules may have prevented him from doing so. The rules state that developers lose ownership of an app’s name when they remove it, and they cannot relaunch it under the same name if another developer is using it.
A trailer for the new version shows news clips from when the game became a sensation and promises that “Flappy Bird will fly again”. The upcoming version will feature additional characters, secrets, modes such as a basketball hoop-shooting option, and more environments, according to the video and website.
An X social media account post, mimicking Flappy Bird, reads: “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, 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 game’s new website shows a new “rivals” mode where you can challenge 99 other players and another that has you shooting birds through basketball hoops. New characters include “Peng” the penguin, and the rainbow mohawk-sporting “Quirky”.
