You should probably check in on your Neopets.
The early 2000s worldwide phenomenon, virtual pets, are making a new kind of comeback, this time in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Announced Wednesday, the "Neopets Metaverse Collection" will launch in early to mid-October on the Solana blockchain through automated market maker Raydium.
The drop includes 20,500 "algorithmically generated" NFTs that feature different trait categories like background, character, gender, emotion, headgear, and bodywear, according to Neopets.
The tokens, each of which the company says will be unique, won't be graded on rarity levels, and sale prices were not disclosed.
Launched in 1999, the digital pet fantasy game allows users to "adopt" and customize mystical animals, collect items, play mini-games, embark on quests, and explore the world of Neopia.
The brand has changed ownership three times over the past decade, selling to Viacom in 2005 and JumpStart Games in 2014 before the latter was acquired by Chinese gaming company NetDragon in 2017.
According to JumpStart Games President and CEO Jim Czulewicz, nearly 100 million people have "engaged" with Neopets over the past 20 years. Last year, Czulewicz estimated the platform still had 100,000 daily active users and 1.5 million monthly active players.
Czulewicz said in a statement this week that the new launch will offer users and NFT collectors "the chance to experience and own part of the history of Neopets."
"For us, this is another opportunity to extend the brand into new markets and to new users in a format that is both modern and valued," he said.
According to the Neopets Metaverse, 500 Neopets Metaverse NFTs have been reserved for "giveaways, competitions, future ecosystem rewards, and the team."
"Being the first real world gaming IP to be launched on #Solana, we want to set a precedent for more and more gaming IPs to be integrated with the crypto community," Neopets Metaverse wrote in a tweet.
"Neopia is truly coming to the blockchain!" Neopets Metaverse wrote in a Medium post.
