7 months after 31-year treasure hunt for golden owl ended, sequel is delayed amid acrimony
Organiser of ‘Golden Owl 2’ global treasure hunt, sequel to one that ran from 1993 to 2024, says it is still on – once gamers calm down
The launch of a new mass treasure hunt for a golden owl, an iconic game that previously ended after more than three decades of searching, has been delayed but not cancelled, its French organiser says.
Launched in France in 1993, the last edition ended in October 2024 when the elusive golden owl was finally found after decades of searching by thousands of sleuths from around the world.
“The hunt has not been cancelled at all,” Michel Becker said this week, denying claims that had been circulating about “Golden Owl 2”, which was scheduled to begin in early May.
“Launching a game like this, in such a negative context, is not something that we can do. We want to work in a calmer climate, so we’re giving ourselves some time to see what happens,” said Becker, the game’s co-inventor.
The previous golden owl was found in Dabo in eastern France, according to Becker.
But this outcome was immediately cast into doubt by some diehard followers of the cult game who questioned the published solutions to the riddles.