The famous Jimothy from Seattle has accepted yet another brand deal. The wild raccoon seemingly suffering from a spinal deformity is being added to Guild Wars 2, in part because the woman who turned the poor creature into a viral sensation named Jimothy is married to an ArenaNet developer.
Kiana Hall posted the hairy dumpling on Instagram two weeks ago, writing in her caption that she and her spouse were “graced with the presence of Jimothy” as he galloped in front of them with the graceless abandon of a bowling ball, proud and round in his toddling. Since then, young Jimothy – his neighbors in Seattle determine him to be around a year old, and I’m guessing maybe a Pisces – has appeared in Skyrim and Stardew Valley mods, and he received an official stat block in Dungeons & Dragons.
Now, ArenaNet shares in a press release, Jimothy will make a sanctioned visit to Guild Wars 2 in August. The developer explains, “An ArenaNet developer’s spouse recorded and uploaded a video of an oddly-shaped raccoon in their Seattle backyard. Now, after capturing the world’s attention, it’s scurrying into Guild Wars 2.”
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ArenaNet explains in more depth on LinkedIn that, “Bringing a little piece of Jimothy into Tyria felt like a fitting way to honor a story that connected so many people. Starting Aug. 11, track him down in Guild Wars 2 to unlock a Jimothy mini of your own.”
“And while we love Jimothy’s real-world origin story,” the developer says responsibly, “we’d also like to remind everyone that wildlife is best appreciated from a safe and respectful distance. If you’re looking to get up close to Jimothy, the in-game version is definitely the safer option.” I’m in the mood for a little spaghetti and raccoon meatball, so don’t mind if I do.
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