If you were a trivia fan in the mid-2010s, you remember exactly where you were when you heard: QuizUp was shutting down.
For many, it wasn’t just an app closing—it felt like losing a community, a daily ritual, a place where being nerdy about obscure topics wasn’t just accepted, it was celebrated. One day you were battling for the top spot in “The Office Trivia” or “European Geography,” and the next, it was all gone.
But what actually happened? How did an app with 100 million users just… disappear?
This is the full story of QuizUp: the meteoric rise, the controversial acquisition, the slow decline, and the lessons we can learn for the future of trivia gaming.
The Beginning: Two Icelanders and a Dream
The story of QuizUp begins in Reykjavik, Iceland, in 2010.
Thor Fridriksson and three co-founders started a small game studio called Plain Vanilla Games. Their first product? A Facebook game called “GodFinger”—a mobile god game that found moderate success.
But Thor had a bigger vision: a trivia game that anyone in the world could play, in real-time, about anything they were passionate about.
The concept was simple but revolutionary:
- 1v1 real-time matches (not turn-based like other trivia apps)
- User-generated content (players could create their own topics)
- Social features (follow topics, chat with opponents, climb leaderboards)
- Completely free (no pay-to-win mechanics)
In November 2013, after three years of development, QuizUp launched on iOS.
The Explosion: From Zero to 100 Million Users
What happened next was unprecedented in mobile gaming history.
The First Week
- 1 million downloads in the first week
- App Store servers struggled to keep up
- Users reported wait times to match opponents (a good problem to have)
The First Month
- 5 million users within 30 days
- Trending #1 in the App Store in 120 countries
- Tech press called it “the fastest-growing mobile game ever”
By 2014
- 100 million registered users
- 1.5 billion games played per month
- Available in 40 languages
- Over 1,200 topics created by users and the team
QuizUp wasn’t just popular—it was a cultural phenomenon.
What Made QuizUp So Addictive?
Let’s be honest: trivia apps existed before QuizUp. So what made this one different?
1. The Real-Time Factor
Unlike turn-based games like Words with Friends, QuizUp matches happened live. You and a stranger (or friend) competed in the same moment, answering questions simultaneously. The tension, the speed, the immediate gratification—it was electric.
2. Topic Specialization
You weren’t just “good at trivia.” You could be a Level 87 Grand Master in “Harry Potter” and a Bronze Rookie in “Sports.” This specificity made every player an expert in something.
3. The Leaderboards
Local, national, and global rankings gave context to your performance. Beating the #1 player in your state felt like winning the Super Bowl.
4. User-Generated Content
QuizUp embraced the community. Anyone could submit topics and questions. Suddenly, there were quizzes about niche YouTube channels, specific anime series, or local sports teams. If you cared about it, there was a quiz for it.
5. It Was Completely Free
No energy systems. No pay-to-win. No ads interrupting gameplay. QuizUp respected your time and wallet, which was rare in mobile gaming.
The Acquisition: When Everything Changed
In April 2016, mobile game publisher Glu Mobile acquired Plain Vanilla Games (and QuizUp) for $7.5 million.
On paper, it made sense:
- Glu had experience scaling mobile games
- QuizUp had a massive, engaged user base
- Together, they could monetize more effectively
In reality, it was the beginning of the end.
What Glu Changed
Almost immediately after the acquisition, long-time QuizUp users started noticing changes:
1. Aggressive Monetization
- Ads between matches (breaking the flow)
- Power-ups you could buy (violating the “no pay-to-win” principle)
- Energy systems limiting free play
2. Feature Bloat
- Social features were pushed heavily (chat, profiles, feeds)
- The core quiz experience got buried
- Performance suffered (the app became slower, buggier)
3. Loss of Community Voice
- User-generated topics were deprioritized
- The forums where players gathered were shut down
- The connection between developers and users evaporated
The User Exodus
The numbers tell the story:
- 2016: 100 million users (peak)
- 2017: Active user count dropping, but Glu didn’t disclose numbers
- 2018: App reviews plummeted; “RIP QuizUp” posts dominated social media
- 2019: Servers shut down permanently
March 2019: The End
On March 15, 2019, QuizUp was officially shut down.
There was no public announcement from Glu Mobile. No farewell event. No archive of user data. One day, the app just stopped working.
Players who opened the app were greeted with an error message. Topics they’d spent years mastering, leaderboards they’d climbed, friends they’d made—all gone in an instant.
The QuizUp subreddit and Twitter exploded:
“I met my best friend on QuizUp. We played for 4 years. Now I can’t even save our chat history.”
“I was #1 globally in Game of Thrones trivia. That was my thing. Now it’s just… gone?”
“This is like a library burning down, but for nerd culture.”
Why Did QuizUp Really Shut Down?
Glu Mobile never provided a detailed explanation, but we can piece together the story:
1. Monetization Failed
QuizUp users were passionate, not profitable. They loved the app precisely because it didn’t try to extract money from them. When Glu added monetization, users left rather than paid.
2. Maintenance Costs
Real-time multiplayer is expensive. Servers, infrastructure, moderation—it all adds up. Without revenue, QuizUp became a financial drain.
3. Strategic Mismatch
Glu’s core business was celebrity-licensed games (Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, etc.). QuizUp didn’t fit their portfolio or expertise.
4. The Community Was the Product
QuizUp’s magic wasn’t the technology—it was the community. When Glu focused on features over people, the soul of the app died, and no amount of engineering could bring it back.
Where Did Everyone Go?
After QuizUp shut down, the community scattered:
The Original Team: Sway
Thor Fridriksson and several QuizUp team members regrouped and created Sway, a spiritual successor to QuizUp. It’s currently in active development and trying to recapture the magic.
The Players: Everywhere and Nowhere
- Some moved to Trivia Crack (but missed the competitive depth)
- Some tried Kahoot! (but it’s designed for groups, not solo play)
- Some joined QuizMi or other smaller apps
- Many just… stopped playing trivia apps entirely
The truth? Nothing has truly filled the QuizUp-sized hole in the trivia world.
The Legacy: What QuizUp Taught Us
QuizUp may be gone, but its impact on mobile gaming and online communities is permanent.
Lessons for Game Developers:
1. Community > Features QuizUp proved that passionate users don’t just want entertainment—they want belonging. The topic channels, leaderboards, and social features created identity and connection.
2. Monetization Must Respect the User The moment QuizUp added intrusive ads and pay-to-win mechanics, it violated the unspoken contract with its community. Users will pay for value, but they’ll leave if you try to exploit them.
3. Free Can Be Sustainable (With the Right Model) QuizUp failed because Glu tried to shoehorn traditional mobile game monetization onto a product that needed a different approach (think: optional cosmetics, tournament entry fees, educational partnerships).
4. User-Generated Content Is a Superpower Letting players create topics wasn’t just a feature—it was the reason QuizUp had 1,200+ topics. No company could have built that alone.
Lessons for Players:
1. Digital Communities Are Fragile Your favorite app, no matter how popular, can disappear overnight. Take screenshots, export data, exchange contact info with online friends.
2. Corporate Ownership Changes Everything When a beloved independent app gets acquired, be cautious. New owners have different priorities, and they’re not always aligned with the community.
3. Demand Better QuizUp users put up with declining quality for too long. When an app you love starts degrading, speak up loudly and early.
Is There Hope for a New QuizUp?
Yes. Absolutely yes.
The reason you’re still searching “what happened to QuizUp” years later is because the need QuizUp filled hasn’t gone away.
People still want:
- To test their knowledge in fun, competitive ways
- To connect with others who share their passions
- To feel like experts in their niche interests
- To play without being nickel-and-dimed
The good news? New apps are rising to meet this need:
- Sway is rebuilding from the original QuizUp DNA
- Quizzy is being built from the ground up with the “QuizUp refugee” community in mind
- Indie developers are creating niche trivia apps
The next QuizUp won’t be a copy—it’ll be an evolution.
The Community Lives On
Here’s something beautiful: even years after shutdown, the QuizUp community refuses to let it die.
On Reddit’s r/QuizUp, former players still share:
- Screenshots of old leaderboards
- Memories of epic matches
- Reconnections with old opponents
- Discussions of alternatives
On Discord and Facebook groups, “QuizUp Alumni” communities have formed, keeping the spirit alive.
The app may be gone, but the friendships, rivalries, and love for trivia remain.
Final Thoughts: Remembering QuizUp
QuizUp wasn’t perfect. It had bugs. Moderation issues. The occasional toxic player.
But for millions of people, it was special.
It was the app you opened when you were bored on the bus. The reason you stayed up too late on a Tuesday. The place where being obsessed with Doctor Who or NBA History made you cool, not weird.
It proved that people crave intellectual challenge, that competition and learning can coexist, and that communities form around shared curiosity.
So what happened to QuizUp?
It died the way many beloved things do: not because it stopped being good, but because the people controlling it stopped understanding why it was good in the first place.
But here’s the thing about ideas that resonate: they don’t really die. They inspire what comes next.
And that’s where we are now—in the “what comes next” phase.
What Was Your Favorite QuizUp Memory?
We’d love to hear your story. What topic were you best at? Do you still remember your biggest rival? Did you meet anyone through QuizUp?
Share your memories on social media with #RememberingQuizUp or email us at info@joinquizzy.com.
Want to Be Part of the Next Chapter?
If you miss QuizUp and want to be part of building something that honors its legacy while learning from its mistakes, check out Quizzy.
They’re in closed beta right now, building with the community (not just for them), and launching when they hit 1,000 founding members.
- 100+ topics, 10,000+ questions at launch
- Free forever (for real)
- 10 languages from day one
- Modern tech = lightning fast
- Built by trivia fans who remember what made QuizUp special
Current Waitlist: 700+ members
If you worked on QuizUp and want to share your perspective, or if you were a devoted player with stories to tell, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at info@joinquizzy.com
QuizUp™ was a trademark of Plain Vanilla Games / Glu Mobile. This article is an independent retrospective by trivia enthusiasts.
