TL;DR
- A new version of Flappy Bird is now available on the Epic Games Store for Android, but it doesn’t have anything to do with the original creator.
- There was evidence ahead of launch that it would have crypto elements, but the final game is monetized via ads and in-app purchases.
- This new game comes after a group reportedly filed to terminate the creator’s trademark and then grabbed it for free.
Flappy Bird was a sensation upon its launch over a decade ago before creator Dong Nguyen pulled the mobile game. However, you can now play a version of the title once again as Flappy Bird has just landed on the Epic Games Store for Android.
Flappy Bird is a free-to-play title on the Epic Games Store, and the team behind the new game says it lacks cryptocurrency integration — at least on Epic’s storefront. The assertion comes after web pages related to the new game hinted at dreaded cryptocurrency and Web3 integration last year.
“Flappy Bird on Epic Games Store for Android is monetized exclusively through ads and IAP [in-app purchases – ed] for helmets to help Flappy continue after inevitably crashing into a pipe, and will permanently never feature any Web3 elements,” read an excerpt of an emailed press release.
This statement is somewhat ambiguous and suggests that other versions of the game could get cryptocurrency elements. We’ve asked a representative to clarify this.
Not a true follow-up from the creator
This version of Flappy Bird isn’t affiliated with the original creator, Dong Nguyen. In fact, an organization called Gametech Holdings LLC reportedly filed to terminate Nguyen’s Flappy Bird trademark and then grabbed it for free, ostensibly resulting in the current game.
Nguyen distanced himself from the new game at its announcement, saying on Twitter that he “did not sell anything,” had nothing to do with this title, and doesn’t support cryptocurrency.
Needless to say, we can see why you’d give this game a wide berth. It might be on legally sound footing, but the creator is seemingly getting the short end of the stick here. Combine the group’s treatment of Nguyen with the previous cryptocurrency links, and I wouldn’t blame you if you think this is a scam.
