A massive investment of 1 billion yuan marks the debut of the country's first celebrity "dog," beginning to infiltrate the daily lives of young people in eating, drinking, living, and traveling!

Who could have imagined that the top trending figure of 2026, breaking out and winning over young people’s friend groups, occupying offline landmarks, and partnering with popular national brands, is actually a small dog that appears “not so clever”?

This little dog is the star and traffic magnet of NetEase’s national hit mobile game "Justice Online" — the Blood River Puppy. It not only appeared on the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower and Guangzhou Tower, holding exclusive debut shows at these two landmark check-in spots, but also secured collaborations with multiple national brands like Chow Tai Fook, Spicy Prince, Baicai Dog, and Aima Electric Vehicles, achieving cross-industry partnerships. From online gaming to offline life, it has fully invaded young people’s eating, drinking, living, and traveling, becoming the first legendary virtual pet in the country.

Even more surprising is that this puppy’s rise wasn’t driven by official planning or capital promotion, but rather by an “accidental” wave of public support. It originally appeared as a random product of the "pet raising" feature in the "Justice Online" mobile game. Because of its fully red body and naturally slanted eyes, which perfectly matched the Blood River profession in the game, players nicknamed it the “Blood River Puppy” and it quietly started building its own fan base.

The rebellious yet seemingly “foolishly wise” Blood River Puppy struck a chord with young people’s abstract aesthetics, sparking strong creative enthusiasm among players. Player-made “Blood River Puppy” emoji packs went viral across major social platforms, continuously boosting its exposure and forcefully pushing this “folk puppy” to the top influencer status.

Seeing the puppy’s immense popularity among players, the "Justice Online" mobile game official team showed savvy operational skills by smoothly transitioning from fan-driven promotion to official endorsement: they integrated player-created emoji packs with platforms like WeChat, took the Blood River Puppy to offline events such as TGS, released a series of merchandise, and quietly let the puppy occupy every corner of the game.

In the end, the "Justice Online" mobile game officially announced the puppy as the game mascot and invested over 1 billion yuan in promotional resources, holding a grand debut show that propelled this virtual dog from online fame to offline stardom.

Besides deploying a towering 5-meter inflatable figure at the Oriental Pearl Tower and Guangzhou Tower for striking photo ops and signing multiple cross-industry partnerships, the "Justice Online" mobile game also deeply emphasized the Blood River Puppy’s “presence” within the game itself.

It erected a superstar statue of the Blood River Puppy in Bianjing City, launched a “login to claim” celebration event, and added puppy prints to players’ costume decals, allowing players to wear and display the Blood River Puppy on their outfits and accessories, thoroughly invading the game’s eating, drinking, living, and traveling experiences…

From a player-created emoji pack to a top influencer IP dominating young people’s daily lives, the Blood River Puppy’s rise is not only a victory for the "Justice Online" mobile game’s operations but also reflects current youth consumption trends: compared to forced hype, this kind of grassroots influencer with emotional resonance and interactive appeal better captures young people’s preferences.

What do you think about this celebrity dog who has taken over the eating, drinking, living, and traveling of today’s youth? Share your thoughts with us.