Back in 2005, we launched Webkinz as one of the first fully featured Flash web sites. Flash wasn’t just an animated element, or a game embedded in the page, it WAS the game. We had created a virtual world for you and your pet to immerse into… in a browser.
For 15 years players went daily to webkinz.com to hit that big “Log In” button to join their pets in having hours of fun.
With the discontinuing of Flash at the end of 2020, Webkinz World’s days as a browser destination also came to an end. Our developers were able to keep Webkinz World alive with the fully featured Webkinz application on PC and Mac, and the mobile versions on iOS and Android, but internally we always had the idea that one day we could return to browsers like Chrome and Safari and have our game playable anywhere, on any device.
Today, on the 20th Anniversary of our launch, we are proud to announce that Webkinz Classic will be returning to browsers later this year.
We have had one goal with this project – get everything working, particularly those features that mobile players currently don’t have access to, like challenges, the Curio Shop, trading, and the Employment Office. And of course, we had to get all the games running – from our earliest games like Pumpkin Patch Protector, to favorites like Cash Cow and Jumbleberry Fields.
And like the downloadable app and the mobile app, all this works with your existing data. Playing in a browser will just be another way to play!
Here is your first look at the game in action (the URL has been intentionally hidden):
Employment Office – PC, Chrome
Arcade – PC, Chrome
Curio Shop – iPad, Safari (we will be addressing the scaling issues)
Now while we’ve come a very long way, we still have a lot of work to do. We are still working on features and once those are complete, we will have a long bug testing and fixing phase. We are aiming for an early Q4 release for everyone to enjoy.
We are also discussing beta events where players will be able to try out what we have (knowing that there will be bugs). We will provide more details on these in the coming months.
Finally, and I’m sure that this will be music to many players ears, our overall goal is to get Webkinz Classic to a point where we can begin developing all new features and finally fix features that have been missing for too long.
We appreciate every fan who has enjoyed our plush and our virtual world over the past 20 years and this project is just one of the many steps that we will be taking to ensure that the next 20 years provides even more joy and fun to all our players, new and old alike.
- Your furry friends in Webkinz World
Follow Webkinz on social media:
social media
Indeed, VERY good news, cannot wait!!!
I can’t wait for this I’m hoping it runs better on my laptop since the downloaded version on my laptop sizing is weird and it won’t let you do certain things
So will the TV work again in the browser?
One more comment: I need to share the corny thing I did tonight! In honor of Webkinz 20th anniversary, I listened to some Webkinz Music! (It’s so great!!) My favorite, “Nine Lives”, perfectly captured the vibe I was feeling. Happy Webkinz Day, to all! Thank you for a wonderful celebration.
WOW!! Prior to reading this announcement, I was so thankful for all the wonderful gifts, prizes, and the beautiful Twenty Year Tiger Ganz was so gracious to give us. But this announcement is like……..Like the fireworks that end a PERFECT day! You are SO generous to your fans/players, and always so considerate of our wants and needs. The hard work that you keep putting into this game is appreciated beyond measure. I never did learn much about techy things (The techiest thing I do is play Classic and Next. LOL) But I do know enough to understand how much hard work, team work, and endless trial and error that must go into keeping this game innovative to take us beyond 20 years! Thank you SO MUCH for your dedication to this wonderful game. Happy Anniversary to everyone at Webkinz/Ganz!!
Thank you! It is so frustrating when I am traveling and cannot get prizes because I do not have a computer.
I can’t wait! Since the first day I logged on 17 years ago Webkinz has been my favorite game. I can’t wait to see how Webkinz classic grows and I hope to see the plushies in store again :) I’m also very excited for the music to come back. That was always a favorite of mine. Thank you Ganz for making my favorite game and all my favorite plushies
i <3 webkinz!!
Is there even a small chance we might see the hamster world again? I loved the quests and the cool trophies and unique decor you could win.
Question for the team: Is it possiblity to bring Mazin Hamsters back?