Blue Whale game: What is the social media challenge, is it real or is it a hoax?

A Briton has died in Portugal, supposedly after taking part in an online game called the Blue Whale challenge - but does is this challenge real, a hoax, or a hoax that has become real?

The game, which first came to public attention in 2016, has apparently been linked to the death of numerous teenagers and adults over the past few years - but there are some questions which have been raised about the validity of the game. Some experts have said that the game may be a hoax and may not actually exist at all.

But, as the supposed game once again comes into public prominence, has what may have once been a myth now become a reality. Just what is the Blue Whale game, why is it called that, where has it come from, what happened to the man in Portugal and what has been said about the game being a hoax? Here’s what you need to know.

Warning: Please do not take part in the Blue Whale challenge, or any of the tasks described in this article, as it could prove fatal. For confidential support for the issues discussed in this article, including mental health and self-harm, please call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit your local Samaritans branch, or the Samaritan’s website for more information.

What is the Blue Whale game?

The Blue Whale game is said to ask participants to take part in 50 challenges over as many days. People are said to gather in an online group where an administrator will set the challenges. These challenges start off small and are seemingly innocuous and inconsequential. For example, early challenges may be to wake up and get up in the middle of the night or watch a horror film.

However, the intention of these challenges is said to be to slowly erode the participant's mental health, with the tasks then becoming more and more harmful. For example, they may be asked to go and stand at the edge of a cliff. People will eventually be asked to hurt themselves in some way, leading up to a more dramatic final ‘challenge’.

Why is the challenge called the Blue Whale game?

There are numerous theories around why the alleged game is called the Blue Whale challenge. One of these is that one of the ‘challenges’ participants are asked to take part in is cutting the shape of a whale into their arm in an act of self-harm.

Another theory is that as whales are solitary marine mammals who do not have any well-defined social bonds this means that they are a good representation of the people who are taking part in the challenge, who are asked to act alone and may also possibly feel isolated in their life.

There have also been comparisons made between the fact that whales often end up beached, and for that reason many lose their lives. Some have also simply pointed to the fact that whales simply look to be sad creatures.

The true reason behind the name of the alleged game could be any one of these, or something entirely different. It is said that images of whales are often shared in the groups where people gather to participate in the challenge.

What happened to the man in Portugal?

A 37-year-old British man was allegedly stabbed to death in Portugal last week as a result of the supposed game. It is said that the man, who has not been named, was attacked after a row broke out between a group of friends while they played the now infamous game. 

Since the incident, a 26-year-old man Josh Menkens, has handed himself in to Portuguese police and reportedly confessed to the crime. An investigation is on-going.

Police had initially been told the death was linked to Blue Whale because friends who raised the alarm “told police they had been playing the game”, according to one source, but police have now formally ruled this out.

Where did the Blue Whale game come from?

The specific origins of the supposed Blue Whale game are somewhat unclear. It’s widely reported that the game was first linked to a number of teenagers' deaths in Russia seven years ago.

An investigative Russian newspaper, The Novaya Gazeta, reported that estimated that 130 children might have killed themselves between November 2015 and April 2016 because of their participation in the challenge, according to the BBC.

In the days, weeks, and months that followed there were reports worldwide of young people taking their own lives after supposedly engaging with the game. It was said that each of them either drew images of whales, or posted them on their social media accounts, before their deaths.

Later, in November 2016, a 21-year-old man called Philipp Budeikin was arrested and was charged with inciting teenagers to suicide. Budeikin admitted to creating the game and even told Russian media outlet Saint-Petersburg.ru: that he did so to “cleanse society”.  He said: "There are people, and then there is biodegradable waste. I was cleansing our society of such people. Sometimes I start to think that it's wrong, but in the end I had the feeling I was doing the right thing." On 10 May 2017 he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.

The challenge has also been heavily linked to a man called Jonathan Galindo. Also known as the Cursed Goofy, Galindo is said to have brought the Blue Whale challenge to TikTok and Twitter (now called X) in 2019. The identity of the person behind the original profile, @jonathangalindo54, which has now been removed from the site, is unknown. 

The man is, however, known for applying make-up or applying a mask to conceal his identity and make himself look like the Disney character Goofy - but this wasn’t an account suitable for children, although it was full of videos encouraging users, including young people, to take part in the game.

Since then, many copycat accounts have been made by users who all claim to be Galindo. These people were supposedly messaging fellow TikTok users, including teenagers and young people, asking them if they wanted to play a game. They then threatened that they would doxx them if they do not take part. Doxxing refers to the act of revealing someone’s private information publicly, usually via the internet, and it is often done maliciously.

An 11-year-old British schoolboy said he was blackmailed into cutting his own wrists by an anonymous Instagram user using this sinister method. Rocky Gyoury, who lives in Costa Blanca, Spain, carried out the act after the person behind the account threatened to kill his mother, Victoria Mcleish, if he did not comply.

The user, called Johnothan, revealed details of Rocky's age, school, address, mother's name, model of phone and data such as his IP address before asking him to play the game, as reported by the Daily Mail. Police worldwide, including in the UK, have also warned parents to be aware of the supposed game, Galindo’s name and the Cursed Goofy image.

A search of Galindo’s name on TikTok now presents users with a safety message which reads: “Your safety matters. Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing, or even fabricated. Learn how to recognize harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being.” The Twitter account for Galindo also appears to have been inactive for three years.

What has been said about the Blue Whale game being a hoax?

There is some suggestion that the Blue Whale game is a hoax - or at least that it began that way.

Friends of Budeikin, who spoke to an investigative journalist Evgeny Berg, who works for Meduza, a Russian-language independent media organisation, claimed that he only wanted to build a bigger platform for himself as a musician. 

They said that he filled online groups with "shock" content in order to get as many followers as possible and then, when he had a captive audience, advertise his music.

In addition, although the alleged game has been spoken about by countless professionals, including the police, as well as parents and young people themselves over the years, not a single suicide has so far been proved to be linked to the game, neither by journalists or the authorities.

It does appear, however, judging by the re-emerging reports of people taking part in the challenge and also deaths, that the game which was a myth in 2016 may have become very real in 2023, possibly linked to Galindo.

People who are concerned that their child or friend of any age could be taking part in the supposed Blue Whale suicide game are encouraged to look out for signs of this. They include, but are not limited to, blue whale images shared on social media, drawn on paper or even drawn or cut into their skin and any other marks on their body which are unexplained. Please speak to the Samaritans, using the details shared at the top of this article, or your doctor for advice and support.