Neopets announces 'new era' of independence (2024)

Neopets is officially under new management, following the closure of parent company Jumpstart in June 2023. While it briefly appeared that the beloved online pet simulator would be shut down, a new blog has confirmed The Neopets Team (TNT) will now take full ownership of the website, to keep it running in future.

The ‘World of Neopia, Inc.’ will operate as an independent entity, thanks to a management buyout deal. While previously under the watchful eye of Netdragon, it will now be run as a standalone venture.

‘Free from the corporate baggage that existed in the past, the newly united TNT has now been entrusted with the decision-making and overall brand strategy of Neopets, enabling them to work solely on the betterment of the entire Neopets game and community,’ the Neopets Team announced.

The newly-formed company will be led by Neopets fan Dominic Law, who previously worked with NetDragon on a variety of initiatives, including a poorly-received NFT game. With the transition to independent ownership, work on this metaverse-inspired game will be cancelled – with all assets and existing work being utilised to create a new social life simulation game for mobile, known as World of Neopets.

Read: Flashback: The rise and fall of Adobe Flash Player

According to the Neopets Team, World of Neopets will allow players to live their ‘ideal Neopian life from the perspective of a Neopet’ with decoration-filled Neohomes serving as a base for exploration of wider Neopia.

The Neopets Team has made clear that this version of the game will not contain crypto or NFTs of any kind – likely in a move to distance the project from its predecessor, which received largely negative feedback from franchise fans. Existing digital collectibles will remain online, and the new Neopets management has promised to continue supporting the Web3 community – but it appears this will no longer be the focus of Neopets endeavours.

Instead, the team will focus on improving the existing site, with the relaunch of Island Builders, an episodic adventure game spin-off, as well as a renewed focus on rebuilding parts of the Neopets website that became broken following the loss of Adobe Flash Player.

According to the team, the Neopets website will now be getting the refresh it’s needed for several years, with a new round of investment and funding allowing for these issues to be addressed.

‘We have a fresh round of investment and funding from the management buyout that will help us repair many of the community’s biggest concerns, such as broken games, unconverted pages, and bugs,’ the Neopets Team announced. ‘We’ve already hired new developers and artists who will work on fixing these issues, as well as working on our other Neopets projects … The new team is actively seeking community feedback to ensure we allocate these resources to the most pressing issues for players.’

While Neopets has reportedly been operating at a loss for the last decade, thanks to low player retention, ageing site features, limited funding, and broken games, the website’s new management appears hopeful that change is on the way, and that players can look forward to a renewed version of Neopets in future.

Neopets announces 'new era' of independence (2024)

FAQs

Neopets announces 'new era' of independence? ›

Neopets is under new leadership, following the closure of Jumpstart. Neopets is officially under new management, following the closure of parent company Jumpstart in June 2023.

Is Neopets still active in 2024? ›

Over time, Neopets has had more than 150 million registered users for its core free-to-play web game. This has led to a 100% increase in monthly active users. And Law said in an interview with GamesBeat that he aims to triple that by the end of 2024.

Does Viacom still own Neopets? ›

JumpStart Games acquired Neopets from Viacom in March 2014.

Does anyone still use Neopets? ›

With efforts to resuscitate Neopets ramping up, monthly users have nearly tripled to 300,000 in the past six months, and the company is on track to be profitable by the end of 2024, Law said. “I believe this is the beginning of the revival.

Who is the new owner of Neopets? ›

Nearly two decades later, Law is now the CEO of World of Neopia, the team that bought Neopets in July for an undisclosed amount from Chinese company NetDragon Websoft. For those who grew up in the early years of the internet, the bright yellow interface of Neopets would be a familiar sight.

What is the average age of Neopets players? ›

Neopets has never been about kids, at least not today's kids. The site requires that users be aged 13 or over, and the average user of the site is between 18 and 34. That's right, the site is overrun by us, the bravest and coolest generation to ever exist.

Is Neopets making a comeback? ›

4. Neopets is finally in its revival era (Polygon, August 2023) A promising new chapter unfolds for Neopia as brand-new management takes over one of the internet's biggest games. Check out what the Neopets Team had to say about upcoming changes and the exciting things we can expect in this new era!

When did Neopets shut down? ›

Neopets is officially under new management, following the closure of parent company Jumpstart in June 2023. While it briefly appeared that the beloved online pet simulator would be shut down, a new blog has confirmed The Neopets Team (TNT) will now take full ownership of the website, to keep it running in future.

Are Neopets accounts deleted? ›

Even if an account has been officially closed down, it still exists—it just can't be viewed. So over time, unused accounts pile up on the Neopets servers, taking up space.

Why do people abandon Neopets? ›

Maybe they wanted a different NeoPet, but didn't have anymore room. Maybe they're disconnecting from the Internet, either temporarily (such as do to a move) or permanently. (These reasons, however, are more understandable.) Many people don't consider leaving their NeoPet at the Pound to be a big deal.

What is the controversy with Neopets? ›

Also, Tumblr users have accused it of being racist and homophobic. As for the actual Neopets NFTs that are being sold, users say they're over-priced and low-quality. “The 'NFTs' are literally just randomly generated stock Neopets.

Will Neopets ever be fixed? ›

And yes, that includes fixing its games. Detailed in a Medium post on Monday, The Neopets Team (TNT) revealed it has raised $4 million from investors to fund an overhaul that will hopefully restore Neopia to its former glory.

How popular is Neopets now? ›

Neopets has 150 million registered users from the totality of its 25-year history, but currently only has about one million annual active users. Still, Law says those active users are really active. Many have been playing for over 10 or even 15 years and stuck around through the worst days of the company.

What is the new plot of Neopets 2024? ›

The new Neopets plot will roll out episode by episode starting in June 2024 till early 2025, featuring a new character journey that explores themes of community, family, inclusion, well-being, and identity.

When did Neopets end? ›

As many of you may have seen, Jumpstart was shut down on June 30th, 2023. Prior to this shutdown, Dom pushed NetDragon to save Neopets. A management buyout deal was struck, allowing the two Neopets teams to combine forces and become an independent company.

Is Neopets still alive? ›

Neopets has 150 million registered users from the totality of its 25-year history, but currently only has about one million annual active users. Still, Law says those active users are really active. Many have been playing for over 10 or even 15 years and stuck around through the worst days of the company.

Do adults still play Neopets? ›

Yes, adults also play Neopets.

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