Final Fantasy 14's Hippo Calf Minion Gains Unexpected Popularity

The Final Fantasy 14 community is witnessing an unexpected surge in demand for the in-game Hippo Calf minion, likely influenced by the real-world fame of a baby hippo named Moo Deng. At the time of writing, the market board price for this adorable minion has skyrocketed, reaching close to 1 million Gil on certain servers.

In Final Fantasy 14, players can gather a wide array of vanity minions, many of which serve as cute companions and some even function as units in the Gold Saucer’s mini-game, Lords of Verminion. With each update, Square Enix introduces more minions that can be earned through quest rewards, retainer ventures, or as rare drops from dungeons. The Hippo Calf minion, for instance, can be obtained by completing the level 85 Vanaspati dungeon or through treasure sacks in the Eureka Orthos deep dungeon.

Because the Hippo Calf can also be sold on the player-run market board, its price and availability fluctuate based on player demand. According to GamesRadar, the recent spike in popularity for this in-game minion is tied to the social media fame of a real-life baby hippo, Moo Deng.

Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo living at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, became an internet sensation after images and videos of her went viral. The zoo has been overwhelmed with visitors eager to see Moo Deng in person, so much so that they’ve implemented a five-minute limit on visits to her enclosure. The zoo is also exploring ways to leverage Moo Deng’s newfound popularity to raise funds for its upkeep and maintenance.

Hippo Calf Prices in Final Fantasy 14 Skyrocket

The sudden surge in demand for the Hippo Calf minion in Final Fantasy 14 can be directly linked to the rise of Moo Deng’s fame. On some servers, the minion’s price has soared past the six-figure mark, with some listings even exceeding 1 million Gil. On North America’s Aether data center, for instance, the lowest price at the time of writing was around 304,500 Gil, while other listings shot up to as high as 2.1 million Gil.

While expansions like Endwalker and the upcoming Dawntrail continue to offer a variety of collectible minions, the Hippo Calf remains a highly sought-after item due to its relative rarity and charm.

As Final Fantasy 14 prepares to roll out Patch 7.1 in mid-November, players can look forward to even more adorable critters to collect. What those new minions might be remains to be seen, but the growing trend of real-world animals impacting in-game economies adds an extra layer of excitement to the Final Fantasy 14 experience.