Duolingo’s mischievous green owl is dead… or so the internet has been told. In a marketing stunt that has taken social media by storm, the language-learning giant “killed off” its iconic mascot, sparking chaos, conspiracy theories and a mission to bring him back.
Global (24 February 2025) – Learning a new language is one of the most rewarding things you can do – it opens doors, bridges cultures and if you’re anything like me, brings a little thrill every time you successfully string together a sentence in a new tongue.
For the past 130 days, I’ve been on an isiZulu learning journey (futhi ngiyayithanda!), with Duolingo as my trusty sidekick. It’s a brilliant (and slightly addictive) tool, whether you’re starting from scratch or sharpening existing skills. The app makes learning fun, accessible and (mostly) free, using bite-sized lessons, interactive exercises and a gamified approach that keeps millions of users engaged daily.
Duolingo’s quirky notifications and playful mascot, Duo the Owl, has become legendary – sometimes guilt-tripping users into staying on track but always with a touch of humour. But recently, the company did something unexpected.
On the 11th of February, Duolingo announced that Duo had… well, died.
Yes, you read that right.
A dramatic social media post broke the news.
In true Duolingo style, the humour was as sharp as ever. And the plot thickened. A day later, a video surfaced showing Duo being hit by a Tesla Cybertruck.
UPDATE: Reward for whoever can identify the driver. Please post any leads on Twitter.
Thank you for your patience with us during these trying times. #Ripduo pic.twitter.com/zv8QxtNh9E
— Duolingo (@duolingo) February 12, 2025
Then, more characters from Duolingo’s language-learning world began “dying” in similar over-the-top ways. Even massive brands started jumping in on the action.
By now, we all understand that this is an elaborate marketing stunt – but what’s the end game?
We can only assume it is to get more people learning new languages. And in an effort to do that, Duolingo has launched a “Bring Back Duo” website. Their marketing campaign and the only way to resurrect our fallen feathered friend is by doing what he’s been nagging us to do for years – completing a language lesson.
For every lesson done, XP is earned, and the mission is to hit 50 billion (XP). That’s the magic number needed to revive Duo, and as of now, we’re nearly there – sitting just over 49 billion. No one really knows what’s going to happen when we hit the goal, but I, for one, am off to do a lesson (and add my XP).
Who knows? Maybe I’ll finally be fluent in isiZulu by the time Duo is back in action.
Sizokubona maduze i-Duo!
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