Hey Neopians,

I’d like to kickstart my first newsletter to you in 2026 by sharing some personal news. We recently welcomed a new member to our family, and I spent weeks trying to convince my wife to name him Shoyru, for obvious reasons! I think I’ll have to settle for playing Neopets with him once he’s old enough. 

As we head into 2026, the New Era of Neopets is finally on solid ground. My main goal since day one has been to fix the foundation, and that’s starting to bear fruit.

I know many of you worry that we’re getting distracted by shiny new things, so I want to be straight with you: the Classic Site is our heart and soul. About 75% of our team is dedicated to fixing and upgrading it. We’ve actually doubled the size of that team since the summer of 2023. We’re moving past the "quick fixes" now and into the deeper, more difficult infrastructure work that ensures the site stays healthy for the next 25 years.

At the same time, growing our audience is what allows us to reinvest in the site. By leveraging the reach and investment of our partners, we’re able to launch console games on Switch and PlayStation and real-life collabs like Gong cha. These initiatives don't pull resources away from the site but act as a flywheel to bring more old friends back home to Neopia.

We’ve made some real strides this past year that I hope you’ve noticed. The site is loading faster, and NeoPass has become a lot more reliable. We’ve also started pouring our hearts into our botting task force. I know we aren't moving as fast as everyone would like. But the team is working tirelessly, and we are committed to getting this right. More updates will be coming on this front.

I also want to touch on the topic of AI. I want to be very clear: We will not use AI to replace our team, and we will not use it to generate art. The soul of Neopets comes from human creativity. While we do encourage our team to use AI as a tool to help clean up messy, 20-year-old code more efficiently, the look and feel of Neopia will always be hand-crafted by people who love it.

I want to be transparent about the business side of things as well. To keep the lights on and the team growing, we have to be sustainable. Between servers and IT infrastructure alone, it costs us about $100,000 every month. Our community is the engine making this possible. On an average month, about 7% of our users are active premium subscribers, and roughly 2% purchase Neocash. This crucial support is why we are on track to break even by this summer. Ad revenue, merchandise revenue and licensing royalties from our partners help us close that gap. We aren’t chasing massive profits, we are chasing the ability to keep Neopets alive and kicking.In fact, we’ve turned down several offers from investors that wanted to buy us out because we aren't looking to flip Neopets for a quick exit.

To thank you for supporting us through the growing pains, we’re doing two things to kick off 2026:

• Price Freeze: We are freezing the price of our premium subscription for all of 2026. Neopets hasn't adjusted these prices since 2004. We know the world is getting more expensive, and our goal is to keep the site as accessible as possible.
• Pet Slots: We’re increasing pet slots for everyone! We’ll have a full announcement on that very soon.

We often dream about the moonshots,like a Neopets movie or a new animated series. While we’re working hard toward those, the real win for us is simply making the site fun and functional again.

I want my son, my little "Shoyru wannabe," to be able to play and love Neopets the same way I did 26 years ago. That’s the legacy our whole team is working for.

Thanks for being on this journey with us. I hope to meet many of you at our events this year. If you have questions or just want to chat, please reach out.

Cheers,

TNT Dom on behalf of TNT

January Highlights

New Year, New Neopia! The year is starting off strong with a fresh Quest Log Prize pool… and it also looks like some unfamiliar and out-of-this-world petpets have made their way into the Petpet Lab Ray…
 
In preparation for the New Year, we cleaned out the NC Mall’s storage over December and found some retired capsules that will be making their way (at a discounted price!) into some January weekend NC Mall flash sales. 

At the end of January, Neopies will be making an early appearance, so gear up to vote!

Keep reading to learn more about what to look forward to off-site, in the e-shop, and at the mall at Neopets.

Kookith’s have been tinkering at the Petpet Lab and zapped a new, never-before-seen, mysterious six-legged Petpet into existence…Due to expected increases in experimentation at the lab, Noda has baked up a brand new Petpet Lab Ray Fortune Cookie that is now available at the NC Mall. 

Visit the Petpet Lab Ray, and let us know if you discover any new extraterrestrial friends. Who knows, you might find an avatar along the way!

At the end of this month, Neopies (and an extended VIP Raffle) will be making an early appearance on the site, so don’t forget to get ready to vote and reflect on your favourite Neopets moments from 2025. 

This January, keep your eyes peeled every weekend for a flash sale that brings back capsules and items from previous years at a discounted price. It’s out with the old and in with the new!

• Pet Day Mystery Capsules: Celebrate Aisha, Gnorbu, Buzz, Elephante and Kacheek Day before February.
• NC Mall Collectible #2: The second installment in the Kacheek Boutique Collectible series.
• Habbo Hotel Mystery Capsule #3: Collect a third wave of Habbo Hotel-inspired wearables and new pixel Neopet companions.
• Winter & Retired Winter Mystery Capsules: Brand new items, along with all previous winter shop items, released in two separate capsules 
• Weekend Sales Mystery Capsule: New items for the New Year!
• Winter Dyeworks: Taken from your suggestions on the NC Mall Boards
• January Neoboard Stickers: Battledomers and Valentine’s lovers get ready for new themed sticker packs!
• Larger Than Life Petpets and Life Size Petpets Mystery Capsule III: More Petpet wearables back at popular demand!.
• Neopies VIP Raffle Ticket: Extended to a 14-day pass this year, get ready to glam up beginning Jan 20!

Note: Release dates are subject to change. Check the New Features page for the most up-to-date information!

New Year, New Drop!

• Final release: The Yellow Habbo Hotel Mini Mystery Capsule arrives with 10 exclusive, early-2000s pixel-style wearables—so dreamy, so Neopian!
• Styling Studio: 24 new Habbo Hotel Pet Styles in pastel and faerie palettes for Acaras, Bruces, Draiks, Kacheeks, Unis, and Xweetoks—give your pets a magical makeover.

The Varwolf Quest & Haunted Woods Hunt Are Here to Stay!

• New permanent content: Begin the Varwolf Questline to earn the rare Varwolf companion at your own pace.
• Daily gameplay: Play the Haunted Woods Hunt daily for hidden items, special prizes, and new Varwolf colors coming soon.
• Premium perks: +2 pet slots and one extra daily Hunt play.
• NC Mall tie-ins: Varwolf Moonlight Cafe Mystery Capsule, Varwolf Mini Mystery Capsule, and a discounted capsule + pet slot bundle. A special item is coming to help snag the rarest Hunt prizes.

Jump in anytime, these quests and rewards are here to stay!

The Void Within TCG Coming Jan 28!

A mysterious force is stirring… The Void Within, the newest Neopets Battledome TCG booster set, lands January 28, 2026.

• Configuration: $3.99 per pack | 8 cards per pack | 24 packs per box
• Highlights: 232 new cards, all-new Hero and Villain cards, stunning Void Rares, and the return of Petpets
• Digital Bonus: Every booster box includes a Grundo Warehouse scratch-off code redeemable on Neopets.com
• Where to Buy: Local Game Stores, Amazon, and UpperDeck.com
  Build, collect, and battle, then redeem your code for exclusive digital prizes to show off in Neopia!

New Bonus!

• New Year Bonus: Get the exclusive Prestige Foreground with every Monopoly set purchased by January 31, 2026,—while supplies last!
• What’s inside: Eco-friendly paperbox packaging, classic Neopian landmarks, tokens, cards, and Neopoint money from the 25th Anniversary Celebration Edition.
• Digital loot: Each set includes an exclusive code for Neopets.com—a limited bonus foreground, goodie bag, avatar, stamp, background, and more.
• How to buy: Available now in the official Neopets Shop, limit 5 per customer. Limited quantities, once they’re gone, they’re gone!
• Shipping window: Estimated delivery June–July 2026.

Snag your set and celebrate the New Year with exclusive Neopian rewards!

Wraith-Themed Collection from It's My Obsession!

If you’re a fan of the hauntingly cool Wraith aesthetic, you won’t want to miss this! Our brand new Wraith-themed ITA messenger bag and Switch 2 Carrying Case are now available for pre-order!

Rock the New Year on Neopets: Faerie Fragments!

Play match-3 levels (Jan 15–Feb 12) to earn coins and grab bold rock attire, avatar frames, and Neopets.com rewards, including Valentine’s Treats. Shop with Event Boosters, score a discounted Premium Track ($6.99 until Jan 29), and link NeoPass for exclusive prizes like Nephrite’s Beginner Guitar. Compete in Endless Challenge for Paint Brush Coins and stamps.

Log in Feb 14 for a Valentine’s gift. Don’t miss your shot to shine and collect cross-game rewards!

Neopets x Gong cha Coming Feb 10! 

Get ready, Neopians! Starting February 10, discover a magical collab at Gong cha stores across the US and Canada:

• Four limited-edition Neopets drinks, inspired by your favourite pets!
• Exclusive Blind Box Keychain Plushies for sale, collect them all, each includes an in-game Neopets code!
• Free Neopets stickers (with a chance at in-game codes) when you buy a drink, and free acrylic cards (with codes) when you buy two!
• Special giveaways, jumbo plush prizes, and magical surprises await in-store and online.

Don’t miss your chance to sip, collect, and play, while supplies last!

Follow @neopetsofficialaccount, @gongchatea and @gongchacanada for more details and sneak peeks.

Community Meetups

Neopets is officially opening applications for 2026 Community Meetups! Whether you’re looking to rally your neofriends, unite your guild, start a local fan club, or simply gather to enjoy minigames and celebrate all things Neopian, now’s your chance to apply for TNT support and bring a little Neopian magic to your own backyard. Celebrate Neopets fans right in your own community! Reach out to us at community@neopets.com to find out more.

This January, join fellow fans at these exciting community-hosted gatherings around the world:

Phoenix, Arizona
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Location: Gamers Guild AZ, 1818 W Bell Rd, Suite 115, Phoenix, AZ 85023
Hosts: Rover9989 and rascle90
Event Highlights:

• Neopets-themed trivia
• Casual board gaming and open hangout time
• Complimentary board game wall
• Meet, mingle, and make new Neopian friends
• Full restaurant and bar (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available)

São Paulo, Brazil
Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 12:00 PM
Location: Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, s/n – Vila Mariana, São Paulo – SP, 04094-050
Hosts: fluffalspike, drougy, ks_d_sky
Event Highlights:

• Outdoor sports-themed activities
• Dodgeball
• Trivia
• Water balloon games
• Dodgeball with Slorgs and Gormball

Anime Town Greenville, South Carolina, USA
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026
Host: Gnatters
Event Highlights:

• Neopets Fan Panel

Note: Anime Town Greenville badge required for entry. See convention schedule for time.

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026, 6:00 PM
Location: Nicaragua 4484, C1414, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
Hosts: Laricohen and lindapenelope
Event Highlights:

• Neopets Bash

Want to see a meetup in your city? There’s still time to apply and bring the Neopets community together near you! Keep an eye on the Events page for more upcoming gatherings and opportunities to connect with fellow fans.

Happy New Year, Neopia!

Thank you for lighting up Neopia with your incredible enthusiasm, creativity, and festive spirit every year. As we welcome 2026 (Neopian Y28!), we’re grateful for the joy you bring to every celebration and event. Wishing you a magical January, log in, and help spread Neopian cheer throughout this bright new year!