From Student Project to Internet Phenomenon

Via Neopets
Neopets was created in the late ‘90s as a fun website where users could adopt virtual pets, play games, and explore an online world. It quickly exploded, gaining millions of users and pioneering many elements of social media, online economies, and even basic coding that kids would later use on sites like MySpace.
But success came with complications. In 2000, an investor with ties to Scientology took control of the company, allegedly attempting to weave his religion’s teachings into the game. That didn’t last long, but Neopets continued its meteoric rise, reaching 35 million users by 2005—which caught the attention of Viacom (Nickelodeon’s parent company).
Selling Out, Falling Apart, and the Dark Side of Neopia

Via JN Staff
Viacom pushed Neopets into the mainstream, with Happy Meal toys, a PlayStation game, and non-stop advertising. But when they sold the company in 2014, everything fell apart.
Under new ownership, Neopets was plagued by data breaches, the death of Flash (which broke most of the site), and a declining user base. Meanwhile, hackers were stealing rare Neopets and selling them on the black market for thousands of dollars—yes, actual money.
Things got even worse when new owners tried to turn Neopets into an NFT project in 2021. Fans hated it, the backlash was massive, and the project collapsed. Neopets seemed finished.
The 2024 Resurgence

Via Neopets
However, against all odds, Neopets is now experiencing its biggest revival in years. In 2024, the game more than tripled its monthly active users, jumping from 100,000 to nearly 400,000 players—a staggering achievement for a site that seemed all but dead just a few years ago. So, how did this happen?
For one, Neopets is finally in the hands of people who actually care about its survival. In July 2023, the game underwent a management buyout, with new leadership forming World of Neopia Inc. Their first priority? Fix the broken site and make it accessible to modern audiences.
To do that, they revamped the homepage, developed a mobile app, and—perhaps most importantly—brought back classic Neopets games using Ruffle, an open-source Flash Player emulator. This meant that hundreds of old games that were lost after Adobe killed Flash in 2021 are now playable again.
On top of that, Neopets has embraced modern branding strategies, expanding its licensing deals, launching new merchandise, and actively engaging with social media and influencer marketing to tap into the Gen Z audience. These efforts have not only rekindled interest among former players but have also attracted a new generation to the world of Neopia.
Will Neopets ever return to its early 2000s glory? Probably not. But the fact that it’s still here—after 25 years of chaos, corporate takeovers, and near-death experiences—proves that Neopets is more than just a game. It’s a piece of internet history that refuses to die.