You can't keep Moo Deng for yourself, so Final Fantasy 14 players are swarming the MMO's Hippo Calf minion instead – and even Square Enix has caught the fever

Final Fantasy 14 screenshot showing the Hippo Calf minion, it's mouth slightly open in a content pose as it stands against a green, grassy backdrop.

Love for little pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng is in the air, spreading all the way over to the Final Fantasy 14 community - and even to Square Enix itself.

It's no secret that Moo Deng has gone wildly viral since her birth at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. She's reaching all corners of the web, including MMOs like Final Fantasy 14 where players are suddenly obsessed with the game's own Hippo Calf minion. Everyone has to have one - and while the market board's prices do indeed jump up and down over time, numbers for the semi-aquatic pet are soaring.

Power of Moo Deng pic.twitter.com/fWkOFSRTxOSeptember 24, 2024

As one fan points out in a post online, the "power of Moo Deng" may very well have reached the in-game market. Just a few weeks ago, the Hippo Calf minion cost only 17,400 gil - but now, it sits at a pricey 300 thousand gil in some servers. Players are finding other, less official ways to bring Moo Deng into the MMO, too. Fan-crafted mods like the one showcased in this screenshot feature the adorable pygmy hippo.

moo deng!!! 🥺💜#ffxiv #lalafell #Moodeng #StrawberryMods pic.twitter.com/OfLrrlgaGJSeptember 24, 2024

I don't mod my game much myself, but that sweater has me very tempted. The community isn't alone in its infatuation with all of the Moo Deng mania, either, as Square Enix is joining in on the hype train as well. One of the developer's more recent posts is a clip of the Hippo Calf minion opening its mouth wide as water splashes onto it - a cute reference to videos of Moo Deng circulating social media.

Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing. 🦛 pic.twitter.com/ufJLNemkS3September 21, 2024

The caption is also just as perfect and pop culture-y as its accompanying clip: "Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In My Lane. Focused. Flourishing." As a Moo Deng and Final Fantasy 14 stan, I'm obsessed with how both the fandom and Square Enix are finding ways to pull the tiny hippo into the game. All I want now is a collaboration event with Moo Deng's zoo for an official in-game item, whether it be attire or a brand-new minion - as long as it's handled better than the Gong cha promo.

Final Fantasy 14 fan soloing the MMO like it's RuneScape's Ironman mode finally finishes a 12-week boss grind thanks to a 6-week grind for 1 healing spell