Following the announcement of Flappy Bird’s anticipated comeback, its creator, Dong Nguyen, voiced his concerns regarding the upcoming version.
Originally launched in 2013, Flappy Bird featured straightforward gameplay where players guided a bird known as Faby through a series of pipes with similarly sized gaps at random heights. The game became notorious for its difficulty; colliding with a pipe meant instant failure, forcing players to restart. Each successful pass through the pipes awarded players a point, leading to medal achievements at various milestones: bronze for 10 points, silver for 20, gold for 30, and platinum for 40.
Although the game featured simple mechanics, players found it frustratingly hard to navigate past the pipes, yet its addictive nature kept them coming back for more. Amid its explosive popularity, Nguyen removed Flappy Bird from all app stores on February 10, 2014, expressing his overwhelming stress by stating, “I cannot take this anymore.” Now, more than ten years later, the game is set to return without Nguyen’s involvement or support.
Creator of Flappy Bird Disputes Rights Sale
When the re-release of Flappy Bird was unveiled for 2024, the developers, known as The Flappy Bird Foundation Group, asserted that they had secured the official trademark rights from Gametech Holdings LLC. However, Dong Nguyen refuted these claims on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), firmly stating that he did not sell any rights pertaining to Flappy Bird.
In his tweet, Nguyen clarified that he has no connection to the new game and has not sold any related assets. He also mentioned his disapproval of cryptocurrency.
No, I have no related with their game. I did not sell anything. I also don’t support crypto.
— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) September 15, 2024
Reports suggest that the new Flappy Bird game may incorporate aspects of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Advertisements for the game state players can “fly higher than ever on Solana as it sours into Web 3.0.” Furthermore, cybersecurity expert Varun Biniwale allegedly discovered a site linked to the game that mentions a currency called the “Flap Token.”
Notably, in the past, the United States Patent and Trademark Office revealed that Gametech Holdings had taken control of the Flappy Bird trademark from Nguyen after the rights lapsed due to inactivity.
Release Date for the New Flappy Bird Game
The revived Flappy Bird will debut on desktops and web browsers in the third quarter of 2024, with mobile versions for iOS and Android projected for release in 2025. Additional platforms may follow in the future.
This new iteration of Flappy Bird promises to retain the beloved original gameplay while introducing fresh game modes, narratives, and multiplayer options. Players will still be able to control Faby, but exciting new characters are set to enhance the experience.