Final Fantasy 14's Hippo Calf Has Skyrocketed In Price Because Of Moo Deng

Summary

• Moo Deng's popularity has led to a massive price increase on Hippo Calves in Final Fantasy 14.
• After remaining stable for years, the price for Hippo Calves has increased tenfold.
• Everyone wants their own Moo Deng.

The price of the Hippo Calf minion on Final Fantasy 14's market board has skyrocketed due to the popularity of the viral baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng.

Moo Deng is a young pygmy hippopotamus living at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. The young hippo rose to online popularity after observers noted how energetic and playful she is. Moo Deng's popularity has been a great financial boon to the zoo, which has doubled its number of visitors since the hippo's rise to fame.

Everyone Wants Their Own Moo Deng

It would appear that Moo Deng's popularity has had some unexpected and far-reaching effects. The price of Hippo Calves on Final Fantasy 14's market board has increased tenfold, as seen in screenshots posted by Final Fantasy 14 player Cerulean. In those screenshots, you can see a price increase in listings, beginning at around 25,000 Gil and rising to around 300,000 Gil.

A quick look at Universalis, a Final Fantasy 14 market board tracking website, confirms the veracity of these screenshots. You can observe a clear spike in the price of Hippo Calves in the last couple of days, which is currently sitting at an average price of 250,000 Gil.

For those unfamiliar, minions in Final Fantasy 14 are cosmetic pets that follow the player around but otherwise don't have any gameplay function. It would appear that players are now willing to pay high prices for their own personal Moo Deng, and the markets are responding.

In other news, details have been revealed about Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.1, which will be entitled Crossroads. The patch will be adding several main scenario quests involving Zoraal Ja, and a new dungeon called Yuweyawata Field Station which is a research facility. There is a lot more on the way in Patch 7.1 so it's certainly worth reading the full overview here.

If you want to get your own Moo Deng in Final Fantasy 14, then perhaps you should invest now before prices get even higher.

Final Fantasy 14 (2010)

WHERE TO PLAY

Square Enix's popular MMO, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, has players step into the role of the Warrior of Light in the world of Eorzea. There, they find themselves testing their mettle against Primals, the Garlean Empire, the Ascians, and plenty of other threats.

This award-winning MMO now has multiple expansions to its name, with the most recent Endwalker expansion bringing the Hydaelyn/Zodiark arc to a close. Director and producer Yoshi-P has promised lots of plans for future content and the game has regular updates to keep players occupied.