Today’s Wordle answer has been changed to prevent any connection by players to an ongoing “major news event”, The New York Times have revealed in a statement. The prominent US newspaper said they wanted the viral word-game hit to “remain distinct from the news”. Maybe they should have considered that before they bought Wordle for a seven-figure sum in February?
The New York Times say they realised last week that the answer for May 9th might prove controversial and changed it for “as many solvers as possible”. Some fans of Wordle will still see the unchanged answer if they haven’t refreshed their browser. The answer before the change was ‘fetus’, which was drawn from the centralised list of future words prepared for Wordle.
This word was loaded ahead of time last year, The New York Times explain, and so any relation to issues in the news are “entirely unintentional and a coincidence”. ‘Fetus’ could be construed as a reference to the debate raging over a leaked draft of the largely Republican United States Supreme Court’s ruling in a case that may signal the overturn of 1973’s Roe v. Wade, the foundation of abortion rights in the US.
Other organisations are treading less lightly around the Roe v. Wade debate. Developers Double Fine have joined other companies within the industry in condemning the apparent forthcoming decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the nearly 50-year-old ruling protecting the constitutional right to abortion. The statement follows a similar message from Bungie posted to their site last week.
We at Double Fine Productions stand steadfast in our support of essential healthcare rights for all. pic.twitter.com/WA5wdntaWK
— Double Fine (@DoubleFine) May 6, 2022
Standing up for reproductive choice and liberty is not a difficult decision to make, and Bungie remains dedicated to upholding these values.https://t.co/zCjZZC2NkH pic.twitter.com/c0t4s4Xp1D
— Bungie (@Bungie) May 4, 2022
Falcon Age studio Outerloop Games and developer of The Long Dark Hinterland Studios have also published statements on Twitter in support of maintaining the Roe v. Wade ruling. Washington-based Guild Wars devs ArenaNet simply tweeted: “Your body. Your right.”
Hinterland Studio stands in solidarity with the many people impacted by the threat to reproductive rights and freedoms. pic.twitter.com/RqMmyp3gdm
— Hinterland (@HinterlandGames) May 4, 2022
We stand for people’s right to make their own decisions about reproduction we encourage you to get involved https://t.co/ZJ9PvM3HiV
— Outerloop Games ???????????? (@OuterloopGames) May 6, 2022
Double Fine are familiar with issues of personal choice and supporting those with healthcare concerns from their Psychonauts series. Andreas Inderwildi took a look at Psychonauts 2’s portrayal of mental health following the game’s release last year, and said: “Psychonauts 2 turns the mind into a strange and dangerous, but ultimately understandable and healable place. Our goal is always to discover and gain understanding, to open up connections and put things together again.”
If you’re struggling with Wordle strategies then check out our guide to the best Wordle starting words. Ollie also has a guide to help you find today’s Wordle answer, now that it’s been changed.
