Mind Candy, the British company behind the once-popular online game Moshi Monsters, is asking the public to help fund its relaunch in time for the game’s 20th anniversary in 2027.
‘Moshi Monsters’ plan to relaunch on 20th anniversary
The game, which allowed children to adopt and care for colourful cartoon monsters, was shut down in 2019. Now, Mind Candy hopes to bring it back through a Kickstarter campaign, a type of online fundraising where fans can donate money to support a project.
Moshi Monsters was first launched in 2007 and became hugely popular with children around the world. It allowed users to choose and take care of one of six monsters—Diavlo, Furi, Poppet, Luvli, Katsuma, and Zommer—and collect hundreds of small creatures called Moshlings while exploring a digital world known as Monstro City.
At its peak, the game had over 100 million users. In Australia alone, it’s believed that half of children aged six to 12 played the game.
The game was shut down because it was built using a type of software called Adobe Flash. Flash was widely used for online games but eventually became outdated and was no longer supported by most web browsers, making games like Moshi Monsters impossible to run.
Mind Candy says they have received ongoing messages from fans asking for the game’s return. In a public statement, the company said:
“Since closing the doors to Moshi Monsters in 2019, we have seen nostalgia for the game continue to grow, with fans constantly calling for us to bring it back. On its 20th Anniversary, we’re excited to bring back the iconic game – not only for our loyal fans, but for a whole new generation of children who have yet to experience the magic of Moshi Monsters.”
The Kickstarter campaign allows fans to contribute as little as £5 (about R122) to support the development of the new game. Mind Candy says this approach will also allow fans to share their ideas and help shape the updated version.
The company has previously tried to bring Moshi Monsters to younger children by developing animated content, apps, and toys. However, changes in technology and a move towards mobile apps made it harder for the original game to survive.
At one point, Mind Candy had considered new partnerships for animation and merchandise, aiming to modernise the brand.
Divina Knowles, a former chief operating officer of Mind Candy, noted in 2015 that the company had paused work on Moshi Monsters as it reached the end of its life cycle.
However, she suggested that stepping away allowed them to later relaunch with fresh ideas and a new approach. She told The Guardian at the time, “We’d left Moshi for a while because it was in the declining stage of its life-cycle, but we’ve done ourselves a bit of a favour inadvertently.”
Mind Candy’s attempt to bring back Moshi Monsters comes at a time when the children’s digital entertainment industry is full of opportunities but also challenges, especially with changes in regulations and business models.
While fans have shown excitement about the return, the relaunch will depend on whether enough people are willing to support the campaign financially.