PETA, a well-known animal rights group, has urged Santa Monica Studio to remove animal violence in God of War Ragnarok.
God of War Ragnarok, a fictional story based on Norse mythology, has come under fire from PETA. In case you didn’t know, PETA stands for “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals“.
Will we get a new mode in God of War Ragnarok?
Furthermore, rather than removing animal violence entirely, PETA wants the developers to create a “PETA mode”.
Fans of the God of War series will be familiar with its brand of violence. That being said, it could be argued that this series isn’t quite as violent as it used to be.
However, as reported by The Gamer, PETA wants the developers to go out of their way by creating a brand-new mode in God of War Ragnarok.
Is this a reasonable request?
However, this won’t be as simple as removing animals from a campaign. Essentially the entire game would need to be reprogrammed and would likely take many months to accomplish.
It’s safe to say that PETA’s request is not only unlikely to happen, but it can also be considered unreasonable, no matter how good their intentions may or may not be.
Just a heads up, minor spoilers are afoot related to the Helheim realm.
Spoilers are afoot!
One particular moment that has gained the attention of PETA is a section in the story when Kratos and Atreus visit Helheim.
In this realm, the duo is required to battle with a giant wolf named Garm who is causing chaos within all realms.
PETA argues that during this section of the game, due to Garm being chained up, cold, wounded and hungry, it represents cruelty to animals.
What’s more, this is one of the main reasons that the animal rights group wants Santa Monica Studio to develop the “PETA mode”.
God of War isn’t the first PETA target
Back in 2019, PETA garnered the anger of Pokemon fans when it was accused of using Wooloo to push its agenda of using sheep fur for materials such as clothing.
Moreover, PETA even organised protests in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
However, that is not all. In 2021, PETA also campaigned to remove cockfighting (not that) from Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6. PETA’s attempts to remove cockfighting from Far Cry 6 proved futile.
“Turning a horrific bloodsport 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,” said PETA in a statement at the time.
We reviewed God of War Ragnarok
In our review of God of War Ragnarok, we said it’s: “everything you loved about the previous title, but amplified. The longer story and expanded worlds give way for characters to develop in meaningful ways, making the whole game feel very much like a sequel worthy of its predecessor.”
Finally, what are your thoughts on PETA wanting a new mode in God of War Ragnarok? Let us know across our social media channels.
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Featured Image Credit: Santa Monica Studio/Source: The Gamer