Flappy Bird Reportedly Flapping Away For Good

Flappy Bird fanatics powerless to escape the chart-topping game's addictive grip may soon experience an unforeseen reprieve.

Flappy Bird

Despite earning a reported $50,000 per day off of the simply designed and unexpectedly difficult game, developer Dong Nguyen tweeted this afternoon that he would be removing Flappy Bird from app stores in less than a day's time.

I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore.

— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 8, 2014

Nguyen clarified that, "It is not anything related to legal issues. I just cannot keep it anymore." Adding, "I also don't sell Flappy Bird, please don't ask. And I still make games."

Related: Look Out, Candy Crush: Flappy Bird Is the Latest Craze in Mobile Gaming

It is still unclear as to why Nguyen is erasing the game, which remains perched at the number one position on both the iTunes and Google Play app charts.

However, some have speculated that he boosted the game's popularity and ratings through fake accounts and is now facing legal action. Or else, that the sudden and intense public response was simply too much for him to bear.

The game was initially uploaded by Nguyen's one-man Vietnamese studio, dotGears, in May, but only recently rocketed to widespread acclaim. It is a free program that features ads, but does not offer in-app purchases like other popular games, including the immensely lucrative Candy Crush Saga.

In the game, players must continually tap on their touchscreens in order to navigate a bulgy-eyed yellow bird between green pipes -- not unlike those traveled by Super Mario himself.

Nguyen is also the creator of two other games, Super Ball and Shuriken Block -- third and seventeenth on the iTunes free app charts respectively -- whose fate remains intact for the time being.

Related: The NSA Is Using Angry Birds to Spy on You