World of Warcraft’s next pet is a viral sensation known for his round shape and stumpy appearance.
Have you heard about Jimothy? This little guy is a raccoon who lives around the Seattle, Washington area, and has been going viral all over the internet thanks to his unique appearance. Thanks to a congenital condition called “short-spine” syndrome, Jimothy is definitely not like other raccoons, as evidenced by his short, round shape.
You asked, Jimothy answered.
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) July 24, 2026
🦝 Coming soon to Azeroth. pic.twitter.com/0gY9TVFSjz
Jimothy’s been spotted several times around Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood over the past few months, but a recent post sent him into viral fame as people around the world show their love for the unfortunate-looking guy. And now, he’s being immortalized in WoW.
Last night, Blizzard announced that Jimothy will be “coming soon to Azeroth” along with a short video of the stumpy trash panda strutting his stuff in-game. The news was met with excitement but also some skepticism, as some claim Blizzard and Activision are attempting to capitalize on the situation when it instead could be used for good.
Details aren’t available yet, but many are hoping that a portion of proceeds from buying Jimothy in WoW could go to animal sanctuaries or to help wildlife charities. It would certainly be nice to see the virality of Jimothy be put to good use.
For an example of just how popular Jimothy’s gotten on social media, type his name into Google and watch what happens. Yeah, he’s a star, so it’s no surprise to see him being brought to life in other mediums already.
The hype around Jimothy reminds me a bit of Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo who went mega-viral a few years ago, but I think Jimothy is way cooler. He doesn’t let his situation stop him from living his best raccoon life in the wild, and there’s a lesson to be learned in that.
New footage shows Jimothy, Seattle's viral raccoon sensation, back in May, a couple months before he found fame. A resident in the city's Ballard neighborhood spotted Jimothy walking across a fence outside her home while she was doing the dishes. https://t.co/zCnHr5T9jG pic.twitter.com/h9j4pSoAnW
— ABC News (@ABC) July 24, 2026
Hopefully, the lesson with Blizzard bringing him to WoW will be one of education and charity. How prevalent is short-spine syndrome? What are the effects and downsides? This would be a great opportunity for some goodwill.
I hope to hear more news about what kind of agreement Jimothy and Blizzard came to in order for his appearance to come to fruition soon. Hopefully he’s being paid well.
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