The iconic mobile game, “Flappy Bird,” is returning to app stores, but not without controversy. The original creator of the 2013 hit said he’s not involved at all.
Posting on X for the first time since 2017, the Vietnamese video game developer made it clear he didn’t sell anything. The new owner of the trademark for Flappy Bird says it got the rights from Gametech Holdings, which secured them after proving in court that the trademark was no longer valid.
The new team behind the game, the Flappy Bird Foundation, released a new trailer playing up the game’s rise over a decade ago. By January 2014, it was the most downloaded free game on Apple’s App Store and was making $50,000 a day in ads and purchases.
However, the developer decided to pull the game, saying that while it was a success, it had ruined his life.
As for the new version of the game, cybersecurity researchers say they’ve spotted hints that it could involve cryptocurrency. A hidden page suggests that Flappy Bird will “fly higher on Solana,” as it enters web 3.0.
While the game is set to return in 2025 to IOS and Android, it’s clear this won’t be the exact game from over a decade ago.
