A decade ago, the mobile gaming industry was taken over by a straightforward game named Flappy Bird. This game, which was a massive success on both Android and iOS platforms in 2014, brought considerable fame and wealth to its creator, Dong Nguyen, based in Vietnam. Flappy Bird was even said to generate tens of thousands of dollars daily from ad revenue.

However, by February 2014, Nguyen had completely taken down the game from all mobile app marketplaces. Several attempts were made to clone the game over the years, but none could match the original’s success.

Fast forward to today, an organization known as the Flappy Bird Foundation is re-introducing the game. This group, which calls itself “a new team of enthusiastic fans,” holds the trademark for Flappy Bird – however, it seems it wasn’t acquired from Nguyen. The originator of a game believed to have inspired Flappy Bird is also supporting this project.

One thing the Flappy Bird Foundation lacks, however, is the involvement of Nguyen.

The Rebirth of Flappy Bird

The Flappy Bird Foundation unveiled a trailer recently, highlighting what enthusiasts can anticipate from the renewed game.

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Dubbed as Flappy Bird, the game features the original yellow bird avatar. Players can tap on the screen to flap their wings and navigate up and down to evade striking pipes. Nevertheless, the game’s new website reveals more exciting elements.

Additional playable characters and different levels have been incorporated. The trailer showcases a world map, hinting at the presence of a storyline mode. Other game modes involve steering your Flappy Bird character through basketball hoops. It seems an online mode named Flappy Bird Rivals will also be introduced where players can compete against 99 other contenders.

The revitalized Flappy Bird is slated for launch in October on the web and other platforms. Dedicated iOS and Android apps are expected to be available in 2025.

Is it a Real Comeback for Flappy Bird?

The so-called “comeback” of Flappy Bird is peculiar because its creator is not involved. In fact, Nguyen reportedly has no connection with Flappy Bird‘s revival and didn’t sell the rights to it.

Nguyen stated he was uncomfortable with the attention Flappy Bird brought, and even mentioned that he did not want Flappy Bird to exist at all.

“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,” Nguyen told Forbes in an interview in February 2014 shortly after taking the game off of the app stores. “But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.”

So, how is the Flappy Bird Foundation reviving the game?

In a post titled “I AM BACK!!” the Flappy Bird account on X revealed that reviving the game involved acquiring legal rights and also working with its predecessor to “re-hatch” the official Flappy Bird® game!

However, the Flappy Bird Foundation obtained the rights from Gametech Holdings LLC., not Nguyen. According to court records, Gametech Holdings LLC acquired the Flappy Bird rights by filing to take over the abandoned trademark rights from Nguyen. As Inverse notes, Gametech Holdings LLC used Nguyen’s own public statements about abandoning Flappy Bird to successfully take over the trademark in September 2023.

While Vietnamese developer’s non-involvement might disappoint some fans, the Flappy Bird Foundation does have a member with ties to the original Flappy Bird.

The anonymous creator of the game Piou Piou vs. Cactus is reportedly part of The Flappy Bird Foundation. When Nguyen’s Flappy Bird became successful, he was criticized for allegedly “borrowing” elements of Piou Piou vs. Cactus, such as the design of the notorious yellow Flappy Bird character. Some speculated that Nguyen shut down Flappy Bird to evade legal issues with the creator of Piou Piou vs. Cactus.

So, Flappy Bird is back, albeit with a dubious new backstory. Will The Flappy Bird Foundation pull off the comeback? It’s possible. However, there’s already criticism of the new game based on the apparent introduction of the dreaded micro-transaction.

We’ll have to wait and see when it launches.