The recently released Far Cry 6 video game from Ubisoft has drawn the ire of the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). While PETA has been known to issue statements on the handling of animals in video games over the years, and Far Cry 6 includes a variety of animals and instances that might have been the subject of such a statement, it is the cockfighting minigame in Far Cry 6 that has been specifically called out.
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“Turning a horrific blood sport like cockfighting into a Mortal Kombat–style video game match is a far cry from real innovation, as today’s society is strongly opposed to forcing animals to fight to the death,” the statement from PETA Latino Senior Manager Alicia Aguayo reads. “Roosters used in cockfights are fitted with sharp spurs that tear through flesh and bone, causing agonizing and fatal injuries. PETA Latino urges Ubisoft to replace this reprehensible minigame with one that doesn’t glorify cruelty.”
Contrary to the real-life equivalent, the cockfighting video game in Far Cry 6 is essentially a boiled-down version of a traditional fighting video game like Tekken or Street Fighter where players pick a bird to go up against another. The two then duke it out, complete with special movies and health bars, to find a winner. It’s not really cockfighting as it truly exists, but neither is it not cockfighting.
In general, Far Cry 6 sees players take on the role of Dani Rojas as they join a revolutionary group called Libertad on the fictional island of Yara. Players work to liberate Yara from the grasp of President Antón Castillo, portrayed by Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito, and his son, Diego, whom he is grooming to take his place. Dani and their revolutionary compatriots have their work cut out for them.
Far Cry 6 is currently available for the Xbox Series X, the Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and PC via the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the new Far Cry video game right here.
What do you make of PETA’s statement about Far Cry 6? Have you been playing for yourself? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!
[H/T GAMINGbible]
