The viral word puzzle Worldle may no longer remain free to play after it was bought by the New York Times.
Creator Josh Wardle agreed to sell his free-to-play with no adverts game to the media group for a seven-figure sum.
The game is still free to play and will remain so in the immediate future, but the New York Times - which operates under a paywall system - has suggested that could change in the future.
Read more: What is Wordle? The viral free-to-play puzzle has taken internet by storm
NYT Company has said “the game would initially remain free to new and existing players”, Press Association reports.
The New York Times' other puzzle games, such as Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles and Vertex are accessed through the paywall subscription service.
Mr Wardle, who is from Britain but lives in New York, announced on Twitter that he has agreed to sell the game.
He said: “Since launching Wordle, I have been in awe of the response of everyone that has played.
“The game has gotten bigger than I ever imagined (which I suppose isn’t that much of a feat given I made the game for an audience of one).
“It has been incredible to watch the game bring so much joy to so many and I feel so grateful for the personal stories some of you have shared with me – from Wordle uniting distant family members, to provoking friendly rivalries, to supporting medical recoveries.
“On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said this hasn’t been overwhelming.
“After all, I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.
“Given this, I am incredibly pleased to announce that I’ve reached an agreement with The New York Times for them to take over running Wordle going forward.”
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