Viral word game Wordle was bought by The New York Times for more than £1 million.
The sale created concern among some users that they may be charged to play the game in future.
Wordle has taken social media by storm with a daily puzzle comprising a five-letter word that players have six chances to guess.
READ MORE: Call The Midwife's Helen George supported by co-star as she hits back at criticism
Users can share their performance via rows of coloured bricks which indicate how close their guesses were to the correct word.
Software engineer Josh Wardle has said he decided to sell the virtual puzzle after it snowballed and became "overwhelming" to run.
Josh, the creator, announced the changes to the game on his Twitter account.
He wrote: "Since launching Wordle, I have been in awe of the response of everyone that has played.
"The game has gotten bigger than I ever imagined (which I suppose isn't that much of a feat given I made the game for an audience of one).
"It has been incredible to watch the game bring so much joy to so many and I feel so grateful for the personal stories some of you have shared with me - from Wordle uniting distant family members, to provoking friendly rivalries, to supporting medical recoveries.
"On the flip side, I'd be lying if I said this hasn't been overwhelming.
"After all, I am just one person, and it is important to me that, as Wordle grows, it continues to provide a great experience to everyone.
"Given this, I am incredibly pleased to announce that I've reached an agreement with The New York Times for them to take over running Wordle going forward."
Wordle has been bought from its creator by The New York Times Company, and the paper has hinted it may not be free to play in future.
The NYT has said "the game would initially remain free to new and existing players". The NYT currently provides games including Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, Tiles and Vertex, which are behind a paywall.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
