Look who’s making a comeback after ten years – the popular viral mobile game “Flappy Bird.” Yes, you read it right!!!
After being pulled out of the App Store more than ten years ago, Flappy Bird, a simple yet addictive mobile game, will return with an expanded version across multiple platforms, including web browsers, by the end of October.
It is expected to be released on the native app versions of Android and iOS sometime in 2025.
For those unaware, Flappy Bird was originally released on May 24, 2013, by its Vietnam-based creator and developer, Dong Nguyen.
In this game, the player requires the player to control the bird Faby, which constantly moves to the right by flapping its wings.
The player is tasked with navigating the bird through a series of green pipes with equally sized gaps placed at random heights without touching them.
Further, the bird automatically descends and only flaps upwards when the player taps the screen.
However, the game restarts again if the bird collides with a pipe or the ground.
This simple yet addictive mobile game, which was initially unsuccessful, became one of the most successful mobile games of all time only after it was reviewed by the Swedish YouTuber PewDiePie.
Despite the mobile game getting over 100 million players and earning around $50,000 a day in revenue through its in-game advertising, Nguyen cut its journey short on February 8, 2014, much to the dismay of fans.
The game was shockingly pulled from Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store by Nguyen who was uncomfortable with the addictive nature of the game and he felt guilty for it.
He wrote, “I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”
Ten years later, Flappy Bird is returning, but this time, the new mobile game isn’t from the original creator Nguyen (via IGN). It is from ‘The Flappy Bird Foundation,’ which describes itself as “a new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world.”
“It’s been a decade-long, convoluted journey to get here, but we’re so excited to finally begin sharing Flappy Bird once again with the world,” said a spokesperson for the Flappy Bird Foundation.
The Flappy Bird Foundation said it had acquired the official Flappy Bird trademark from U.S. company Gametech Holdings LLC, in addition to the rights for the original game and character from Piou Piou vs. Cactus, the mobile game that supposedly originally inspired the Flappy Bird character.
Michael Roberts, the Chief Creative behind Flappy Bird’s return, said: “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!”
Piou Piou vs. Cactus developer Kek added, “Today is a milestone not just in gaming but for me personally. It’s so cool to see how influential Piou Piou has been for developers and hundreds of millions of gamers over the years.
It’s incredible to work alongside such a dedicated team of fans and creators who are truly passionate about changing the industry narrative and together bringing the original Flappy Bird back to life.”
The new and more advanced version of Flappy Bird is expected to bring new game modes, characters, progression, and massive multiplayer challenges.
You can check out the trailer of the new Flappy Bird here.