The small Thai baby hippo Moo Deng took the internet by storm. The hype surrounding the animal is so immense that the demand for a minion in Final Fantasy XIV has increased by 1,600 percent.
Who is Moo Deng? Moo Deng is the name of a baby pygmy hippo that was born at the Thai zoo Khao Kheow Open Zoo. When the first photos were released, the baby hippo trotted into the hearts of many people with its adorable steps.
Catchphrases like: “Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing.” became popular, and countless memes featuring the little baby hippo were created. Entire fan pages were also launched on X.
Final Fantasy XIV is overwhelmed with demand for baby hippos
Due to the hype surrounding Moo Deng, everyone wants to have their own baby hippo now. However, this is only possible in Final Fantasy XIV.
In the MMORPG, players can purchase minions, which are small pets. One of these is the “Hippo Calf Minion,” a calf of a hippo.
Just a few weeks ago, this baby hippo cost 17,400 Gil (the in-game currency), but now the price on some servers is at 300,000 Gil. That’s a price increase of 1,624.14 percent. A user shared on X screenshots clearly showing that people are willing to spend large amounts on the pet.
However, this “Moo Deng copy” can not only be bought. Modders have also been at work, creating mods that allow players to get their own Moo Deng without spending huge amounts of Gil. Additionally, custom Moo Deng merchandise is being created in the game, as a user posted on X.
Square Enix is also affected
Square Enix itself could not escape the charm of Moo Deng either. They posted a short video of the little baby hippo with the characteristic Moo Deng caption:
Having their own Moo Deng offers Final Fantasy XIV players a lot of fun. Recently, Final Fantasy XIV received a new expansion. However, the opinions on this were mixed: Final Fantasy XIV: With the new expansion, the MMORPG receives mixed feedback again after 10 years – The head doesn’t care
