Dong Nguyen, the original developer of the mobile game Flappy Bird, opposes the revival of the game after a 10-year break.
His reaction comes as speculation arises that the re-release might have cryptocurrency ties.
On September 15, Nguyen broke his silence on X for the first time since 2017, declaring he had no link to the company, which claims to have legally acquired the rights to the game, and that he does not endorse any crypto-related ventures.
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A group named The Flappy Bird Foundation announced on September 13 its intention to re-release the game, saying that it had obtained the necessary rights and worked with "the predecessor" to revive the game.
The Flappy Bird Foundation reportedly acquired the game's rights from Gametech Holdings, a company that filed an opposition to Nguyen's claim to the Flappy Bird trademark in 2022. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) ruled in Gametech's favor after determining that Nguyen had abandoned the trademark.
Researcher Varun Biniwale uncovered web pages related to the Flappy Bird Foundation's new game that hinted at a play-to-earn model and mentioned it will "fly higher than ever on Solana." Although these pages have been taken down, the prospect of crypto integration remains a topic of discussion.
Biniwale commented:
Is this a somewhat shady project with the goal of capitalizing off the nostalgic appeal of a beloved game while quietly aiming to make money from cryptocurrency and Web3 integration? It sure seems like it.
First released in May 2013, Flappy Bird is a mobile game where players tap their screens to navigate a bird through obstacles. By 2014, the game had soared to the top of Apple's App Store, reportedly earning Nguyen $50,000 a day.
Despite its success, Nguyen made the decision to remove the game in early 2014, citing the overwhelming attention and describing it as an "addictive product" in an interview with Forbes.
With Nguyen disavowing any involvement and the potential crypto connections raising eyebrows, the return of Flappy Bird is shrouded in uncertainty.
In other news, Hamster Kombat, a tap-to-earn game based on Telegram, is preparing to release its HMSTR token on The Open Network (TON) on September 26.
