New York Times buys Wordle: creator's Herefordshire border link

Now an American-based software engineer, Josh Wardle said he decided to sell the virtual puzzle after it snowballed and became “overwhelming” to run.

The New York Times has said it will “initially remain free”.

Creator Mr Wardle, who has links to Abergavenny, announced the move on Twitter, thanking users for sharing touching stories about the effect the game has had on their lives and relationships and adding that he was “thrilled” about the takeover.

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He said: “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."

But Mr Wardle actually grew up in Llanddewi Rhydderch, near Abergavenny, Nation.Cymru reported.

He went on to attend King Henry VIII School, in Abergavenny's Old Hereford Road, less than 10 miles from the border at Pandy.

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He then studied at Royal Holloway, UYniversity of London and then the University of Oregon, before working at websites Reddit and Pinterest.

After selling Wordle, he also said: “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.”

The NYT said the ad-free website, which was launched in October and now has millions of daily players, was bought for a sum “in the low seven figures”.