It is no secret that the puzzle gameWordlebecame a worldwide phenomenon since its release in late 2021, hooking players to its mind-boggling yet straightforward gameplay.Due toWordle’spopularity, the game was recently acquired by The New York Times, and the award-winning newspaper has since introduced several changes to the game.
Several days ago, players noticed howthere are now fewer words that can be guessed inWordlethan before. Specifically, certain words that some speculate were removed because they can be spelled differently in other countries, such as “FIBRE” and “HUMOUR.” However, The New York Times confirmed that more words are being removed fromWordle, especially those that may cause offense or denote a derogatory meaning.
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In an email sent to Polygon, a New York Times representative stated that “offensive words will always be omitted from consideration.” The representative also revealed thatsinceWordlehas just been acquired by The New York Times, the publication is still in the process of removing offensive words from the game. At the time of writing, players will no longer be able to use gendered and ethnic slurs and other offensive profanities. Doing so would prompt the game to flash a “not in word list” message, encouraging players to come up with a different guess.
It is also worth pointing out that not all NSFW words have been taken out ofWordle. For example, players can still guess certain words that are more seen as naughty than offensive, such as certain swear words and even vulgar slang for male and female genitalia, though these may be removed as well. Finally, it is worth mentioning that this move by The New York Times is not surprising, given that the newspaper rarely uses profane words, and its other word game, Spelling Bee, does not accept offensive terms.
InWordle, players are given six chances to guess the five-letter word of the day. Each time the players guess,Wordleprovides helpful hints on whether certain letters are correct, allowing players to fill in the right word. Since The New York Times acquisition,some players grew concerned about whetherWordlewill remain freeon the Times' website. However,Wordlecreator, Josh Wardle, confirmed that the game would continue to be free of charge upon selling it to New York Times. This remains to be the case for now, though it wouldn’t be unlikely if The New York Times decides to require players to have a subscription to continue accessingWordlein the future.
