Fallout 4: Real-Life Dogmeat, River, Has Died

River, the real-life German Shepherd that Fallout 4's Dogmeat companion was largely based on, has sadly passed away. Dogmeat was just one of many companions that players could pal around with in the title, but it was an early one that quickly became a fan-favorite character. The exact details of River's death have not been released, which is not terribly unusual for animals, but Capy Games studio director Joel Burgess, who previously worked on the Fallout franchise at Bethesda, shared that he "said goodbye" to her last night before offering a bunch of memories about how River came to portray Dogmeat in the first place.

"I said goodbye today to River, who most of you know as Fallout 4's Dogmeat," Burgess shared over on Twitter. "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."

You can check out some of the highlights from Burgess sharing the story of how River came to be Dogmeat below:

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

It wasn’t obvious at first that River would be our subject.

We’d started by researching some “professional” dogs, with film and/or police training.

Lots of games go this route, and for good reason. But in the end, we didn't.

— Joel Burgess (@JoelBurgess) June 27, 2021

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

Fallout 4 is currently available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Dogmeat, which is largely based on River and her likeness, is just one of the many companions in the video game. You can check out all of our previous coverage of Fallout 4 right here.

Were you aware that Dogmeat was based largely on an actual, real-life dog? Did you regularly play the video game with Dogmeat as a companion? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming.

[H/T ResetEra]