PETA Shares Animal Crossing: New Horizons Vegan Guide

If you're somehow not already aware, Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out last week for the Nintendo Switch. As the name implies, a goodly portion of the popular video game deals with animals, both in the sense that there are animal villagers as well as bugs and fish to catch. And, as is typically the case when a video game featuring animals releases, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has an official response. In fact, the group has a vegan guide for island life in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The extremely short version is that PETA says the following actions are not cool in Animal Crossing: New Horizons if you're really looking to live that vegan lifestyle: fishing, catching bugs, building the museum (doing so requires fishing and catching bugs), digging for clams, and building a doghouse. The guide also says to cut Tom Nook some slack, as he is a tanuki and real-world versions of the character "are beaten, anally electrocuted, gassed, or skinned alive."

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons is fantastical in many ways, but when you look a little closer, you realize that there are even more ways in which it's realistic," PETA's guide reads in part. "While other animals don't speak the same language we do, they really do have their own means of communication and individual personalities. By populating your island with animals such as sheep, deer, and rabbits who have strong personalities, Nintendo is reinforcing the important fact that animals are individuals."

Have you had a chance to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Are you sticking to that vegan island life? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

Here's how Nintendo describes Animal Crossing: New Horizons over on its official website:

"If the hustle and bustle of modern life's got you down, Tom Nook has a new business venture up his sleeve that he knows you'll adore: the Nook Inc. Deserted Island Getaway Package! Sure, you've crossed paths with colorful characters near and far. Had a grand time as one of the city folk. May've even turned over a new leaf and dedicated yourself to public service! But deep down, isn't there a part of you that longs for…freedom? Then perhaps a long walk on the beach of a deserted island, where a rich wealth of untouched nature awaits, is just what the doctor ordered!

"Peaceful creativity and charm await as you roll up your sleeves and make your new life whatever you want it to be. Collect resources and craft everything from creature comforts to handy tools. Embrace your green thumb as you interact with flowers and trees in new ways. Set up a homestead where the rules of what goes indoors and out no longer apply. Make friends with new arrivals, enjoy the seasons, pole-vault across rivers as you explore, and more!"

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is now available for Nintendo Switch. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the Animal Crossing franchise right here.