Animal Crossing: New Horizons: PETA Weighs In

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is pretty much an animal-lover’s dream. In the game, human characters get to live on a deserted island hand-in-hand with their newfound animal friends. For the first time ever, players can even eat (and poop), yet it’s strictly restricted to fruit! However, despite all this, the game doesn’t quite go far enough for PETA. The controversial group has released a new video detailing all the ways in which Animal Crossing players can make their islands more vegan and animal friendly, such as refusing to catch bugs, and instituting no fishing policies on their islands for people that visit.

The whole thing is a bit ridiculous, to say the least. After all, fish and bugs that are caught in the game are never shown to be harmed (in fact, sometimes the bugs are the ones doing the harm). Instead, players can donate them to the museum where they are kept safe. Interestingly enough, the video posted by PETA shows the player with a shovel and a fishing rod in their inventory. The shovel can only be acquired in Animal Crossing: New Horizons by donating enough caught fish and bugs to get Blathers to come to the island.

Of course, this is hardly the first time PETA has taken issue with a video game. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Pokemon Black and White have both earned the ire of PETA. In the latter case, the organization actually released a flash game comparing the practice of catching Pokemon to animal cruelty. Ironically, Pokemon Black and White was the first game in the franchise where the morality of capturing Pokemon was questioned by characters.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to take PETA’s position on games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons seriously. Studies have shown no link between video game violence and real-life violence, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons is pretty much the furthest possible thing from a violent video game. Players should take PETA’s advice with a giant grain of salt, and keep in mind that these are all games, and it’s okay to enjoy some escapism.

What do you think of PETA’s Animal Crossing video? Are you a fan of New Horizons thus far? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!