Flappy Bird returns, ten years after its viral rise and fall

It’s been over 10 years since mobile games hit the market. Flappy bird went from mobile game obscurity to viral hit to millstone for its creator, Dong Nguyen. Since then, other developers looking to capitalize on the game’s success have created hundreds of clones. Later this year, Flappy bird officially returns under new ownership.

You can thank the Flappy Bird Foundation, which describes itself as a “new team of passionate fans committed to sharing the game with the world,” for Nguyens’ return Flappy birdThe Flappy Bird Foundation has acquired the official trademark rights to the game, as well as the rights to the game and the characters in Piou Piou vs Cactusthe 2011 competition that Flappy bird is believed to be inspired by.

The new Flappy bird is coming to multiple unannounced platforms this fall, with Android and iOS versions planned for 2025. According to an earlier version of the project Link tree page, the new Flappy bird will initially be playable exclusively on messaging service Telegram, a detail that has since been removed. Polygon has reached out to the Flappy Bird Foundation for more details and will update if the company responds.

Unlike the original, which was a simple, straightforward game that focused on high scores and quick reflexes, the new Flappy bird looks much more robust, with new game modes, character skins, progression and multiplayer challenges. The Flappy Bird Foundation team says it will “refresh the game’s ecosystem while maintaining the familiarity of the game design that has been appreciated around the world.”

“We are extremely excited about the new Flappy bird and deliver a fresh experience that will captivate players for years to come. We have big plans for our little Bird!” said Michael Roberts, the chief creative behind the new Flappy birdin a press release.