Webkinz: Yep, They’re Still Here

By Ian Knoll

Webkinz developers Ganz deleted all accounts that had been inactive for more than a year on October 1, 2019. A moment of silence for all the 00s kids only now realizing their long-cherished virtual pets are gone forever. 

For many, the primary experience of Webkinz was minigames. Most aren't bad, but they’re short and lack any real depth to justify playing for long. Your phone likely has games at least as entertaining. Of course, these games have the advantage of earning points you can spend on your pet’s home. This has always been the main joy of Webkinz. Finding an appealing aesthetic and searching the shops for the necessary furniture to turn your pet’s house into a home is an oddly satisfying experience.

For the modern player, Webkinz works best as a quick distraction. Because there’s now a mobile app, it’s easier than ever to check in on your pets for a few minutes, buy that next piece of furniture, or see the new games and features added since you stopped playing (for the record, none particularly push the envelope.) What’s more, you can now adopt your first pet for free, meaning anyone can play, not just those with a collection of overpriced plushies.

Webkinz isn’t a particularly deep or rewarding experience, but it has its simple, charming pleasures. Am I suggesting that twenty-something adults should make new accounts and get back into Webkinz? No. But if you’re going to, I’d argue there’s no better time.