River, the dog that was the model and inspiration for Fallout 4's Dogmeat, has passed away. Developer Joel Burgess, who was River's owner, announced his death on Twitter, explaining the impact River had on Fallout 4's development, as he was always there to help the development team understand their canine companion. River was also filmed and recorded as a reference for the "Dog Meet" and was seen in action.

In that Twitter thread, Burgess elaborated on how River influenced his desire for his canine companion in Fallout 4 to be more than just a weapon, but a true friend to the player. Bringing the loving, protective, and outgoing canine personality to "Fallout 4" was one of Burgess' character design goals, so River's appearance, movements, and most importantly, personality were reflected in the in-game character. Dogmeat's propensity to bring big things to you, even things you don't want, is based on River.

"River loves to please people and ...... Sometimes she would bring big things. Her intentions were pure, but her judgment was not always perfect," Burgess said, accompanying a photo of River carrying a large log.

Similarly, walks with animator Jean Simonet influenced the dogmeat's behavior: River often walked ahead of Burgess, consistently stopping and looking back to check on him.

River's behavior in the game is also based on the behavior of the German Shepherd. The German Shepherd is a protective dog that places itself between what it wants to protect and danger. Dogmeat does just that. Says Burgess, "This wasn't just a choice to give Dogmeat a different fighting style than other companion NPCs, it was a character choice."

Losing a friend is never easy, especially when that friend is a constant companion like the dog. Our hearts go out to Joel Burgess and all who knew River. Let us raise a toast to River's memory today. At least as Dogmeat, she can continue to bring joy (and a big stick) to people for years to come.