Internet Mourns Passing Of Dog That Inspired 'Fallout 4's' 'Dogmeat,' River

Fallout 4 developer Joel Burgess shared the sad news that his dog River, the German Shepard that inspired Fallout 4's canine companion Dogmeat, passed away. Rather than giving a eulogy on Twitter, Burgess instead told the story of how River came to become one of the best dogs in video games.

I said goodbye today to River, who most of you know as Fallout 4’s Dogmeat.

Heartbroken doesn't cover it, but I won’t eulogize her here. For twitter, I thought it'd be appropriate to look back at her impact on that game.

(plus, writing about game dev hurts less than grieving) pic.twitter.com/ayN1Vd6oqQ

— Joel Burgess (@JoelBurgess) June 27, 2021

Burgess describes how he wanted to make sure Dogmeat was a "companion" first, and a weapon second. However, after developers initially drafted the character as a snarling beast, Burgess brought in River. According to Burgess, "River attended countless meetings; but not just to be poked, prodded, recorded and filmed as reference – her biggest job was just to BE with the team. The more they bonded with her, the more they saw Dogmeat as a character – a friend."

Burgess shared multiple details about River in his lengthy thread, including how her gentle demeanor made her ideal for modeling and foley work. In one particular anecdote, he described how when walking, River would trot ahead of its charge and then look back to make sure they were there—behavior that made its way into Dogmeat's pathing.

"Dogmeat is a tether," wrote Burgess. "He grounds you in the world, will always stand by you, lead you to your family, and anticipate your needs. He wants you to be safe and happy. In other words, he loves you. And if love is River's legacy, I am contented. Rest in peace, big girl."

Dogmeat is a tether. He grounds you in the world, will always stand by you, lead you to your family, and anticipate your needs. He wants you to be safe and happy.

In other words, he loves you.

And if love is River's legacy, I am contented.

Rest in peace, big girl. pic.twitter.com/XiUszPtOnM

— Joel Burgess (@JoelBurgess) June 27, 2021

After Burgess' thread, Twitter users mourned the loss of an excellent dog.

RIP River aka Dogmeat. A truly good boy who brought tons of excitement and joy to millions of fans! pic.twitter.com/eFloz6JTmv

— 🍺𝙆𝙀𝙂🍺 ➐ (@_KEG_) June 27, 2021

Rest in peace, River!
You will live on in Fallout 4 Dogmeat ❤#Fallout4 #Dogmeat pic.twitter.com/PYkZcuEKDG

— Jazhara (@LastDayOfUtopia) June 27, 2021

River, the German Shepherd who plays as Dogmeat from Fallout 4, has sadly passed away today.

Rest in peace, my friend. pic.twitter.com/sNLqPHA3no

— matthewo1o (@matthewo1o) June 27, 2021

This entire thread is fascinating and delightful.

Give Dogmeat an extra pet the next time you play Fallout 4. https://t.co/7GAFPHdaMR

— Many A True Nerd (@ManyATrueNerd) June 27, 2021