What kind of silly things make you excited about a game or expansion?

Since *checks clock* the other day, Jellycat has taken the internet by storm. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but the datamined pet that is coming in the Shadowlands expansion is… horrifyingly adorable? Spookily cute? However you want to define it, it took less than three hours for fanart of it to emerge. Fans, content creators, and developers alike have taken to twitter to express how much they love our little gelatinous cub (thanks, Drakk.)

I’m not a big pet battler, but I do enjoy collecting certain pets. And while we have no idea how we’ll be able to acquire Jellycat yet, I have already made myself a commitment to do whatever content is necessary to obtain it. It is that cool, and I must have it. Which got me to thinking. Is it weird that a datamined Battle Pet has been so exciting for me? While there is a lot about Shadowlands that I am looking forward to, a silly thing like this slimy feline put a big smile on my face and got me excited about… playing World of Warcraft in order to get it. I know; crazy, right?

I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment. There are twitter accounts entirely dedicated to inform people if they’re able to pet the dogs, or other critters, in several games out there. It is an undeniable fact that my enjoyment of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, a game which I already adored, increased tenfold once they added the ability to feed cats and dogs until they vomit out ore for you in return. Things like certain pets or mounts that you can obtain, certain transmog sets that you can acquire, certain toys you can use have been known to keep players engaged, despite the fact that they’re not in the slightest the main draw that games like WoW have. Raiding or Mythic+ might be serious business, but I’m not ashamed to admit I spend far more time playing Barbie these days. That is to say nothing of how I always go back to Overwatch once they release new skins, but couldn’t care less about playing in Competitive.

What about you? What kind of silly things make you unreasonably excited about a game, or an expansion? Are you a pet collector or a transmog aficionado? And speaking of Shadowlands specifically, are there any whimsical features about it that are making you more excited than trying your luck in Torghast or pledging yourself to a Covenant?