The New York Times Co.'s acquisition of Wordle has created uproar on social media, with fans expressing fears that the popular online word game, which is currently free to play, might be put behind a paywall.
Announcing on Monday that it had bought Wordle for an undisclosed price in the low seven figures, the Times said the game would "initially" remain free for existing and new players.
That wording led some social media users to suggest the media company would soon allow only subscribers access.