What Is The 'Blue Whale Challenge,' And Is It Even Real?

Content Warning: Portions of this explainer make mention of suicide, which some may find difficult or upsetting. If you need support or are dealing with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's website or call 1-800-273-8255.

Recently, the infamous Blue Whale Challenge has been reappearing in news headlines and social media posts. This online phenomenon has a disturbing history and leaves lots of questions about its existence unanswered.

So, what is the Blue Whale Challenge? Is it real, or just an elaborate hoax? Here’s a full explainer on the mysterious and scary challenge.

What Is The "Blue Whale Challenge?"

The Blue Whale Challenge is a somewhat difficult topic to discuss because it involves the very heavy subject of suicide. Details on the internet challenge are also dubious at best, and it’s very likely there never was a real "challenge" — or at least there wasn't for a long time.

Now, however, the game has become such a subject of fear that it was linked inconclusively to a number of suicides all over the world.

In 2016, this “game” supposedly started up in Russia. It was no ordinary game, as it reportedly involved pressuring or even blackmailing “players” into various tasks of self-harm until a point where they would be forced to commit suicide at the end of a 50-day period of torment.

Essentially, the game involves the user performing various tasks that are seriously dangerous and disturbing, becoming increasingly so as time goes on. There are some reports of suicide victims supposedly partaking in these tasks in the days leading up to their death, according to family and friends, but there is no confirmation that this is true and it’s still very unlikely.

As far as the internet can tell, this is an elaborate hoax, however, some people doubt this, especially due to the fact that two people were arrested as purported “administrators” of the game — including one man who purportedly confessed to creating the game and was also linked to 16 alleged suicides.

It’s plausible that the Blue Whale Challenge was used as a scapegoat in these cases due to the increased fear surrounding the game at the time. Nothing conclusive has pointed to this game existing, despite concerns that it may be out there somewhere.

How Is The Blue Whale Challenge Discussed Online?

The Blue Whale Challenge has been a subject of discussion and debate since it was first reported in Russia in 2016, purportedly spreading to the United States in 2017. Reports about this “game” are understandably quite scary, so now, it’s being covered in everything from conspiracy theories to long documentary-style videos, despite having no evidence it’s a real thing.

Another trend known as the Pink Whale Challenge has been going around since 2017. Fortunately, this is a much more wholesome one since it focuses on suicide prevention and positivity in the wake of everyone's fixation on the Blue Whale version.

At the moment, TikTok has seen an increased interest in the trend being discussed on the platform, probably due to the recent popularization of older "don’t Google" trends leading people down some dark paths on the internet. This renewed wave of curiosity about the challenge and its existence has resulted in searches related to the game being blocked or purged from platforms entirely.

So, Is The Blue Whale Challenge Real?

In short, it’s a hoax, but a potentially dangerous one. There is no proof that a cohesive Blue Whale Challenge exists or ever really did — at least not as far as anyone can tell. The only reports of the game are those of people sensationalizing it for social media fame and some news sites that bought into the hype when the challenge was first reported.

There is no proof that anyone has stumbled upon the Blue Whale game anywhere online aside from some lists of the supposed challenges, and the claims that suicides have been attributed to this seem to be coming from nowhere. It’s unlikely the challenge has ever existed — at least, not at first.

A skilled hacker and terrible human being could theoretically “recreate” something like this, which is probably why there have been two purported arrests. Similarly, the Kia Challenge wasn’t "real" until it became an actual trend due to constant media coverage that inspired copycats.

Nowadays, mentions of the game are still appearing online, including a resurgence in 2020 because many teens were reporting DMs on social media of people supposedly trying to drag them into the game. So, in short, it doesn’t exist as far as we can tell, but it’s always good to exercise caution online anyways, especially in this case.

Who Is Jonathan Galindo, And What Does He Have To Do With The Blue Whale Challenge?

Jonathan Galindo is the name of a man on social media with a photoshopped Cursed Goofy profile picture who was believed to be contacting people to try to encourage them into participating in the Blue Whale Challenge.

For a period of time in 2020, fear surrounding this account was widespread, with people believing he was an administrator of the game. There's no evidence this account is actually associated with the game aside from some shared screenshots that could have been either edited or part of an elaborate scare tactic that was being used by the account.

For the full details on the Blue Whale Challenge, be sure to check out our entry on it here for even more information.