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Duolingo Kills Famous Owl Mascot Once and For All

The company behind the popular language learning app said major changes are coming.

The company behind popular language learning app Duolingo has decided to kill off its famous Duolingo Owl mascot once and for all. In a Tuesday statement, the Pittsburgh-based brand announced with “heavy hearts” that Duo is “dead” and will be scratched from its marketing. They added, “Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know. We are aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments.” The company quipped that “authorities” are investigating with self-deprecating jabs referencing the app’s practice of depicting the owl bruised when lessons are missed. “If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory,” the company added. “But once the internet got their hands on him, he grew into a more complicated — even menacing — character with his own lore,” according to the comapny. Further cementing the Duo owl’s death, Duolingo’s social media profile pictures and app icon have been updated to show the owl with Xs for eyes.