HQ Trivia: A Casual Game That Captivated A Quarantined Audience

HQ Trivia was a popular mobile trivia app that allowed players to earn real money by answering questions correctly. The app was known for its live, interactive format, in which players could compete against each other in real-time to win cash prizes. The app was launched in August 2017 and quickly gained a large following, with thousands of players tuning in to play the daily trivia games. Its popularity soared during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The app was the brainchild of Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, the co-founders of the popular video-sharing app Vine. They wanted to create a live trivia game that would bring people together in a fun and engaging way. At its peak, the app had over 2.3 million players tuning in to play the daily games.

However, the app faced several challenges that ultimately led to its demise. One major issue was the high cost of hosting the live trivia games, which required a large staff of hosts and producers. Additionally, the app faced intense competition from other trivia apps, such as Trivia Crack and Jeopardy.

Another major issue was the lack of a monetization strategy. The app relied heavily on advertising and sponsorships to generate revenue, but more than these sources of income was needed to sustain the company. The company also faced legal troubles, with former employees accusing the CEO of creating a toxic work environment. Expectedly, the company was facing lawsuits.

Despite these challenges, HQ Trivia continued to operate for several years, but in 2020, the company announced it was shutting down. The company cited financial difficulties and the inability to secure additional funding as the reasons for the shutdown.

A mere four days after the shutdown announcement, Yusupov stated that a new deal was in place to keep the app operational.

Since November 17, 2022, the app has not aired any new games.

The demise of HQ Trivia was a disappointment for many of its fans, who had grown to love the app’s unique live trivia format. But, it serves as a reminder of the difficulties and challenges of creating and maintaining a successful mobile app.