At its core, Flappy Bird is a straightforward game. You tap the screen to make the bird flap. You attempt to avoid colliding with the pipes. You see how far you can go before inevitably crashing into those pipes. However, unlike the simplicity of Flappy Bird's gameplay, its history—and the recently disclosed details about its forthcoming reboot—are far more intricate, leading the team behind the game's re-release to issue an official statement addressing the various controversies surrounding the game.
Unfortunately, the Flappy Bird Foundation's statement overlooked one of the most significant criticisms from players: the game's extensive incorporation of cryptocurrency. The statement delves into numerous topics, ranging from the upcoming Flappy Bird developer's acquisition of the Flappy Bird trademark to commentary on the studio's relationship with the creator of Piou Piou Vs Cactus, a mobile game that predated Flappy Bird and significantly influenced its gameplay.
However, the Flappy Bird Foundation fails to address some of the game's most substantial criticisms, such as Flappy Bird chief creative Mark Roberts' fervent support for cryptocurrency, Web 3.0, and blockchain technology—particularly in relation to Flappy Bird. The Foundation's statement also neglects to mention the various hidden and subsequently deleted pages players have discovered on the new Flappy Bird website, which include screenshots indicating that players can connect their crypto wallets to the game and suggesting that it will be heavily monetized through cryptocurrency.
Original Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen—who removed the game from app stores shortly after its release, partly due to concerns about its addictive nature—has confirmed that he hasn't profited from the Flappy Bird Foundation's acquisition of the Flappy Bird IP. He has also stated that he does not support the use of cryptocurrency in games. The Flappy Bird reboot can currently be played on Telegram (though it's uncertain if this is the complete, finalized version of the game), and The Flappy Bird Foundation plans to release the game on browsers and mobile devices in 2025. Confusingly, it has also mentioned that players will get a preview of the game sometime near the end of 2024, but no additional details have been provided.