Flappy Bird gets crypto reboot on Telegram with Notcoin, though original creator and fans denounce new version

It appears the once immensely popular mobile game Flappy Bird is getting a crypto reboot on Telegram's messaging platform.

Flappy Bird "is officially returning after a decade-long hiatus," according to a statement. The game's "return is bolstered by strategic partnerships with key players in the Web3 space, with Notcoin NOT -7.12% joining the launch as its premier publishing partner."

Like Notcoin, a tap-to-earn crypto game that grabbed headlines after a successful token airdrop, Flappy Bird will be accessible through Telegram and utilize the TON blockchain. Details on how the game will engage with TON, however, were limited. "Players and web3 communities will have the opportunity to participate in a free mining event, blending the fun of Flappy Bird’s classic gameplay with the innovation of web3," the statement said.

"We chose web3 and to launch with the TON ecosystem to ensure that the Flappy Bird experience will always be there for the community,”  said a Flappy Bird Foundation spokesperson. 

The reboot is being led by the Flappy Bird Foundation Group, "whose affiliate has acquired the original Flappy Bird trademark rights from Gametech Holdings LLC," according to the statement. It appears in 2023, Gametech opposed Flappy Bird's original creator's trademark filing .

The original creator, Dong Nguyen, seems not to have been involved in the reboot, and according to a report from The Verge , he appears to be unhappy with it. "I did not sell anything," Flappy Bird's developer Nguyen posted to X . "I also don't support crypto."

Since the game's potential revival and crypto ties surfaced in recent days, several users on X have taken to the social media platform to decry Flappy Bird's supposed blockchain rebirth, some calling the new game a "scam" or a "Ponzi scheme." Flappy Bird Foundation and Notcoin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Notcoin's role

Official confirmation that Notcoin is involved only came to light on Monday. The game's specific role in this new version of Flappy Bird is unknown beyond its acting as a publishing partner.

"Telegram is becoming an important field for app and game developers to create a new level of communication with users," Notcoin founder Sasha Plotvinov said in the statement. "Well-known brands and IPs like Flappy Bird are important to make this journey more recognizable and exciting for users."

Since helping to pioneer the Telegram clicker-game model, which has ushered in games like Hamster Kombat and Yescoin, Notcoin has been trying to expand its gaming ecosystem and evolve into more than a single, tap-to-earn title.