Word game Wordle has gone from viral hit to major moneymaker, with the New York Times (NYT) shelling out low seven figures to buy it.

Wordle began its life as a gift from creator Josh Wardle to his partner, according to the NYT. First released in October 2020, the game had 90 players by November 1, and 300,000 two months later.

The NYT has now purchased the game, making it one of those amazing success stories every app developer dreams of achieving.

“I’ve long admired The Times’s approach to the quality of their games and the respect with which they treat their players,” Mr. Wardle said. “Their values are aligned with mine on these matters and I’m thrilled that they will be stewards of the game moving forward.”

For its part, the NYT made it clear they’re big fans of the game.

“If you’re like me, you probably wake up every morning thinking about Wordle and savoring those precious moments of discovery, surprise and accomplishment,” said Jonathan Knight, general manager for The New York Times Games. “The game has done what so few games have done — it has captured our collective imagination and brought us all a little closer together. We could not be more thrilled to become the new home and proud stewards of this magical game and are honored to help bring Mr. Wardle’s cherished creation to more solvers in the months ahead.”