A decade after its sudden removal and the rise of numerous imitators, the original Flappy Bird is set to make a comeback. According to a press release, dedicated fans under the banner of the Flappy Bird Foundation have acquired the rights to the viral mobile game. Flappy Bird will officially return to iOS and Android as native apps in 2025, but the game will be available on other platforms, such as desktop and mobile web, starting this fall.
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The Flappy Bird Foundation has ambitious plans for the revived classic, showcasing some of these in a recent trailer. While preserving the original gameplay is a priority, fans can expect additional features like new game modes, characters, progression systems, and multiplayer challenges to freshen up the experience.
The game’s combination of simple yet punishingly difficult gameplay and its crude, pixelated art style (including pipes reminiscent of the Super Mario series) propelled Flappy Bird to viral fame. Players were hooked on the challenge of tapping the screen to guide the bird through narrow gaps between pipes. According to the Flappy Bird Foundation, the game captivated over 100 million users worldwide.
Flappy Bird first launched in May 2013 but only went viral in January 2014. Developer Dong Nguyen soon revealed that the game was generating $50,000 per day from advertising revenue. However, the overwhelming success took a toll on Nguyen, who decided to pull the game from the App Store and Google Play in February 2014. Nguyen cited concerns about its addictive nature as his motivation for removing it. “Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” Nguyen explained to Forbes. “But it became an addictive product. I think it’s become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.”
Fortunately for fans (though perhaps not for those who were reselling old phones with the game pre-installed), “forever” has proven to be temporary. The beloved bird is about to take flight once again.
