‘Flappy Bird’ Is Making a Crypto Gaming Push After All

Viral mobile game Flappy Bird still has plans ahead in the crypto world, according to a blog post from the Flappy Bird Foundation, the entity that acquired the smash mobile game’s trademark and brought it back via Telegram last year. 

The game’s relaunch on Telegram came with a play-to-earn mining campaign for an eventual FLAP token on The Open Network (TON). However, the future of those plans became uncertain when its Telegram mining phase ended with no token airdrop this spring, and the game’s Android relaunch in April came without a crypto connection. 

Now though, the Flappy Bird Foundation says that Flappy Bird will again “take flight in Web3.” 

“Flappy Bird Foundation will continue its mandate to explore and innovate in the world of Web3 IP and gaming,” the Foundation wrote.

“Our ultimate vision is to build an ecosystem housing the best parts of the traditional gaming space, IP licensing, and all the benefits of Web3 to create a global Flappy Bird brand for the community of fans and players.” 

For Flappy Bird, that means a new Web3 version of the game with competitive gameplay, while also letting players earn rewards—though no specific mention of a token is made in the latest announcement. A representative for the Flappy Bird Foundation did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

Following the announcement, the official X account of Base—Coinbase’s Ethereum layer-2 network—replied with a screenshot of the “Web3 IP protocol launches, bringing the brand on-chain” bit from the game’s roadmap, complete with emoji eyes. Flappy Bird then shared that X post with its Telegram community, perhaps signaling collaborative plans ahead… or at least stoking speculation from curious fans.

The Foundation also mentions the launch of an IP protocol, bringing Flappy Bird assets on-chain, but specifics on which blockchain or assets were not provided.

The game, which asks users to navigate a flying bird through a series of scrolling pipes or tubes, first launched and went viral in early 2014. Soon after, the game’s creator Dong Nguyen abruptly pulled the game from app stores, expressing guilt over its addictive hold on players.

When it returned last year, Nguyen notably broke a seven-year X hiatus to condemn the game’s crypto launch.

Others were critical of the game’s connection to blockchain too, leading the Flappy Bird Foundation and its subsidiary Flappy Bird Publishing to make very clear that its recent Epic Games Store for Android launch would not have any crypto connections. 

“The Flappy Bird app available on Epic Games Store will never have any Web3 elements, and is supported solely by ads and in-app purchases,” a statement about the game’s launch read. 

And while the game will explore Web3 crossovers, fans who do not wish to use the blockchain components do not need to.

“We also acknowledge that there are many Flappy Bird fans new and O.G. that just want to flap on without engaging in Web3. We hear you,” the post reads. “If you prefer not to engage with Web3 features, Flappy Bird Publishing, the foundation’s licensee and Web2 gaming publisher, will always provide you with traditional Web2 games and experiences.”

A timeline for Flappy Bird’s new Web3 initiatives was not provided.

Edited by Andrew Hayward