When it comes to video game dog companions, there's one that is considered one of the most beloved among fans, and that is Dogmeat of Fallout fame. Sadly, River who is the real life inspiration for Dogmeat, passed away a few weeks ago, leaving in her wake a wave of sadness not just among the community, but among those who knew her personally. To honor her memory, both Bethesda and Xbox have announced they will be donating thousands to a worthy cause.
Posting to its Twitter account yesterday, Xbox has said that, along with Bethesda, a $10,000 donation will be made to the Montgomery County Humane Society in memory of River and to pay respects to her contribution to the Fallout games. For those who are unaware, the Montgomery County Humane Society is a charity based in Rockville, Maryland which is dedicated to animal welfare, providing rescue and care, as well as offering adoption services.
This is not the first time a powerful gaming company has donated to a charity. Back in April, at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak that left much of the world in turmoil, Bethesda and ZeniMax Media went ahead and donated $1 million to fight the pandemic, right about the time the former began conducting its own charity streams. While a much larger figure than the one being donated to the Human Society, $10,000 will arguably go a long way to help keep local animals safe while keeping the memory of River/Dogmeat alive.
Dogmeat became something of a staple in the post-apocalyptic series, starting life as an optional companion in the original Fallout from 1997 and has become something of a fan favorite over the years. In fact, not long after Fallout 4 was released, the German Shepherd won an award for best video game dog, winning out against the likes of Chop from GTA 5 and D-Dog from Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain. To win out against other well-known canine chums from enormous franchises is testament to the impact Dogmeat had on the gaming community.
With the loss of River, it's hard to know what will happen in terms of the studio adding a dog companion into the next Fallout game. Many fans will understandably not wish for the original to be replaced. Perhaps Bethesda will include her in the game to honor her one more time, or maybe they'll add a new or different companion. Either way, River's untimely passing will not be forgotten soon, and donations such as this will contribute towards that.
Fallout 4 is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.