Latest Update: October 29, 2020
Since announcing our new Webkinz game, we’ve had many great questions from fans like you. Here we will try to answer those questions. We will be updating this FAQ as more questions come in.
What is going to happen to the current Webkinz?
We are simply renaming the 2005 version of Webkinz to “Webkinz Classic” and will continue to support the game with new items, pets, and events for as long as it has an audience.
Let us be clear, the team that has been working on Webkinz Classic for the past three years is the same today as it has been that whole time. None of the Classic team has moved to new Webkinz. So if you enjoyed Classic this year, you’re going to enjoy it in 2021 as well!
Webkinz Classic will always be near and dear to our hearts. It defined millions of childhoods and changed the toy industry forever. And yes, we continue to play too.
However, this December, support for Flash in browsers will end. There is nothing we at Ganz can do to stop this. We have created the Desktop App to extend the life of the Classic and have invested in technology to allow you to play without the Flash Player at all. This is how serious we are about giving Classic a future.
Will my pets/items/KinzCash/etc. move over to the new Webkinz?
No. The only way we could successfully build a new version of Webkinz was to start again from scratch. Webkinz Classic currently has over 1000 different pets and nearly 30,000 items to collect. Those took over 15 years to create, and to ensure that every pet and every item was available would take that long or more. We couldn’t create a game where players got some of their pets and items and not others.
Resetting also gave us the opportunity to improve features that fans love and really refine the game based on 15 years of feedback. See this as your chance to get in on the ground floor of an all-new Webkinz World.
Why didn’t you just convert Webkinz Classic to a new technology?
Webkinz Classic was built in Flash with a database and server initially created 16 years ago. The new game is built on a completely new architecture that is more secure, fully connected, and that gives more power to our creative team to create great challenges and events. Those two systems simply don’t mix. Even if we had stayed with the 2D look and feel of Classic, it wouldn’t have been possible to move your account data over.
Can I use my old pet codes in new Webkinz?
No. For the same reasons above, those pets simply aren’t in the game to adopt. To avoid players thinking that the codes will work, we’ve made pet codes 15 characters here, instead of the 8 in Classic.
Why aren’t the Curio Shop and Kinzville Academy open yet?
We know where we want to go with new Webkinz and we wanted you to know where we plan to go as well. Our next large addition to new Webkinz will be the Curio Shop and an all-new Gem Hunt that is literally huge.
We also have plans for new sections and features that we simply could never have done in Classic. Features that will give you new ways to play with your friends and cooperate with other players.
What about my favorite feature Magical Forest/Zums/Stadium/Adventure Park/etc.?
Not every section in Classic will be remade in new Webkinz. Webkinz went in a lot of directions over the years, and not all of them fit perfectly into Webkinz World.
That doesn’t mean we’re ignoring the parts that worked though. For example, there won’t be a Wish Factory, but there will be Wish Tokens that you can trade in for event prizes you missed. Where? Wait and see (and Amanda will be back as well).
Hey! Where’s Ms. Birdy?
Ms. Birdy is no longer working in the Adoption Center, but it is very likely she will be seen again in Webkinz World.
What are Diamonds?
Diamonds are the new premium currency for new Webkinz, replacing eStore points. There are a lot of reasons we did this, but one of the best reasons is that we can now give them away in challenges and daily rewards!
How do the new Webkinz babies work?
First you will need any two Webkinz pets. To create a baby, you will combine the “Sparks” of these pets (starting pets have one, purchased pets have 3). To do this, go to the Adoption Center, and tap the Baby area. There you will select the two pets and tap “Use Sparks”. Note that there is a Diamond cost to creating a baby.
Your baby will take features from its parents, but will also receive unique features all its own. There are millions of combinations that can be created, some much rarer than others.
Once you have your baby, take it home and we’ll give you a crib to keep it comfortable in. There you can play with your baby and raise it. Watch for baby requests with the big green arrow. These are Growth Moments. Complete 15 Growth Moments are your baby will be ready to become a Kid! Don’t worry though – you get to choose! You can decide to keep it a baby and turn it to a kid at any time.
Kids have Growth Moments as well. Complete 15 and your kid will be ready to become a full grown pet with three Sparks of their own! How far will your family tree grow?
What are World Names and why did you add them?
We’ve learned a ton about security over the past 15 years. When you are identified on a site by your username, other players have 50% of the information they need to get into your account. Also, no matter how tough our bad word filter is, players have found ways around the filter to say rude or mean things with their username.
World Names fix both problems. Now your whole World Name can be shown safely to every other player, and we know that players can’t say anything bad with our predetermined name pieces.
It’s also a lot of fun!
How come I can’t play the Arcade games as many times as I want?
One of the key complaints that we’ve heard time and time again is that too many games are blocked to Free members. So we made the decision to not go in that direction with new Webkinz. Now Free players can play all of the games in the Arcade, but are limited to 3 plays of each. Full members get 6 plays a day of each. You can also purchase Game Tokens in the Arcade shop to keep playing your favorite games.
Will there be new Webkinz plush pets?
As keen-eyed players will know, the answer is… Yes! We will be announcing all the details for our next generation of Webkinz plush toys soon.
Will there be a Mac version?
Yes, a Mac version is in the works.
Have more questions about the new Webkinz for us? Leave them in the comments below!
Get the NEW Webkinz for Windows computers here
Get the NEW Webkinz mobile iOS app from the Apple App Store here
Get the NEW Webkinz mobile Android app from the Google Play Store here
I have windows 7 on my desktop. Is that why I can’t seem to download the new Webkinz?
Yes. It requires Windows 10
How will this affect the Ganz E-store? Will I be able to use my current estore points towards the new Webkinz game?
No, eStore points cannot be used on the new Webkinz
Please just keep classic going!!!
I recently downloaded the Webkinz classic and for some reason, it isn’t letting me switch from pet to pet, I have to go all the way to the specific pet’s room to become that pet….is this a common issue when downloading the windows app or just my account?
That doesn’t sound normal, no. Are you clicking the button to switch to the pet in the My Pets interface?
yes, I am and it doesn’t seem to work. It works fine on the online version but it doesn’t work on the desktop windows app.
@sallywebkinz it also isn’t working for my pet medallions, do you suggest me contacting Webkinz support?
Yes
okay, thank you for your help.
I have two questions for you, my first one is: now, it’s so cool you’re going to be making Webkinz plush pets again. However, are you going to begin making Webkinz plush pets for the classic game too or is this making of plush pets going to be limited to just the new game? My second question is kind of related to the first; are we going to see classic pets alongside the newer ones, and if so how will we be able to tell classic plush apart from its newer next generation-type style and/or version(s).
This is awesome!!!!! So excited and so glad that Webkinz Classic is staying. Twice the fun now!!
Agreed! :)
I seen a couple people in the new webkinz driving cars, does anyone know where they got the cars?
Thanks for the FAQ—it answered a lot of questions (incl. the whole babies/breeding thing) so I’d suggest putting a link to this FAQ in the two “Join the family” articles. Not happy about putting a limit on all of the games in the Arcade and I still can’t place objects on anything which is frustrating.
Thanks for answering a lot of commonly-asked questions. I’m still having no luck in placing objects on other objects (.e.g lamps on tables/night tables). I’ve tried logging in and out and clearing my cache, etc. Also, the game is still “buggy” for me—my pet will freeze and cannot move around, so I have to log out and log back in. I’m sad about the Wish Factory items not being available in the new Webkinz but the #1 thing that bothers me is the limited number of plays of games that were unlimited with Webkinz Classic. Also, the look of a couple of the games —I like Home After Dark but the new version isn’t as easy on the eyes, and ditto for Tile Towers (someone else mentioned it was hard to see the stacks and I agree). Jumbleberry Blast won’t work on the Classic Webkinz for me (it stays stuck in tutorial mode) and it doesn’t work on the new Webkinz :( Things I like about the new version of Webkinz—the pets do look cute and it’s nice to see a 3D representation of them, I love the floating W prizes—please keep them coming!–and I like the new items you can buy in the W Shop and Arcade, too (please add more to the Arcade shop!). Thanks for making the NeoGothic theme available for everyone to buy, too!
Correction! It turns out that I can place objects on surfaces, sorry about that! I was trying to do it the way it’s done in Classic Webkinz—by moving the object so that it “hovers” over the surface—-instead of how it’s done in New Webkinz (where you place it directly on the surface). Hope that makes sense :)
how can i purchase a pet for the new webkinz world
I think you go to the adoption centre on the map!