By now, most folks will know about viral baby hippo, Moo Deng. For those who don’t – Moo Deng is a resident of Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand who recently became an internet sensation after social posts and videos of her wild expressions, enthusiastic playtime, and funny little habits spread online. Over the last few weeks, the fandom around Moo Deng has grown, to the point where she’s become a veritable celebrity.
As a result of her popularity, global interest in baby hippos – as mascots, as zoo attractions – has risen significantly. Baby hippos are officially in. For Final Fantasy XIV players, this interest has led to something rather odd – total upheaval of the market for minion companions.
In Final Fantasy XIV, you can travel with a minion for companionship. Minions don’t really do much, but they are very cute and stop you from feeling too lonely as you stomp through quests. While there are dozens of minions available for players, one in particular has now stopped the region of Eorzea: the Hippo Calf minion (pictured above).
The Hippo Calf minion bares a strong resemblance to Moo Deng. As a result, the minion has now become incredibly popular – to the point where the price of purchasing one in select Final Fantasy XIV servers has risen more than 900%.
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Per Kotaku, the minion was priced around 30,000 Gil prior to Moo Deng’s viral popularity. As of today, you’ll need to fork out around 300,000 Gil for this minion.
In a sly nod to this sudden spike in the minion market, the Final Fantasy XIV team has leant into all the memes, spotlighting the Hippo Calf minion across social media. “Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing,” the team wrote of the minion, referencing viral posts around Moo Deng.
With all this attention, the price of the minion has grown significantly, as has its popularity – to the point where players are now modding in new Hippo Calf and Moo Deng-themed items and attire into the game, including very funny meme shirts.
As fever around Moo Deng continues to grow, we expect new items and tie-ins to hit Final Fantasy XIV, as well as other online communities. It appears nobody can get enough of this viral hippo. Against a dour global news backdrop, she’s a shining light for those in need of some comic relief, at the very least.
Even when she’s disrupting the economy of Final Fantasy XIV, Moo Deng is an absolute gem.
