End of the streak: Duolingo announces 'death' of its beloved mascot ...

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — The iconic green owl mascot of language-learning app Duolingo — is ‘dead.’

The announcement of Duo’s passing was announced via an Instagram post today, leaving fans both puzzled and amused.

The possible cause of death?

“He probably died waiting for you to do your lesson” stated Duolingo.

“Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death, and we are cooperating fully,” the post read, in Duolingo’s trademark cheeky, humorous approach social media users have become accustomed to.

The company playfully stated that since he had “many enemies,” it requested the public to refrain from sharing “why you hate him” in the comments — insisting if they choose to do so — to include their credit card number “so we can automatically sign you up for DuoLingo Max in his memory”.

Duolingo Max, the app’s premium service, offers AI-powered learning, personalised practices, and an ad-free experience.

Known for his love of pop star Dua Lipa, the statement concluded with a tongue-in-cheek request: “We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.”

The mascot’s passing was also commemorated on the app’s social media platforms with a lighthearted video featuring Duolingo characters Lily and Zari carrying Duo’s coffin out of the company’s headquarters before loading it in the back of a pickup truck.

Marketing-Interactive.com stated it had reached out to Duolingo for further details.

This isn’t the first time Duolingo has captured attention with its quirky social media presence.

Earlier this year, as rumours of TikTok’s potential ban in the United States swirled, the app poked fun at the situation in a post on X on Jan 14, sarcastically remarking, “Oh, so now you’re learning Mandarin,” — addressing users flocking to Chinese app RedNote, a TikTok competitor.

The post sparked a wave of humour online, with users sharing screenshots of their “favourite new apps,” including RedNote, Duolingo, and Google Translate.

To help users navigate the Mandarin-medium platform, Duolingo even released a humorous tutorial video translating trendy English phrases into Mandarin.