Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Future Games Show
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Future Games Show
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Dying Light: The Beast
  • Borderlands 4 review
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Peak screenshot
Co-op Games In the age of Steam censorship, Peak devs bravely go where no Peak has gone before and begrudgingly add requested cannibalism feature: "Fine"
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Action RPGs Hollow Knight: Silksong borrows The Last of Us and Death Stranding's cruelest trick by making safe zones unsafe, and it's breaking fans more than any boss could: "This is the most anger I have ever felt for any game ever"
Resident Evil Village
Games The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
Peak screenshot showing players climbing an icy cliff
Co-op Games "Guys we can't add cannibalism to Peak": Co-developer of viral indie survival game lays down the law, despite fans' protests of "what if just one little nibble"
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot of Link cooking over a campfire
RPGs The Legend of Zelda and Red Dead Redemption 2 have whetted my appetite, so I've found the 7 best cooking games to tuck into
Elden Ring Nightreign
Roguelike Games Elden Ring Nightreign players sick of Everdark Augur boss can't even pretend to be sad there's a glitch that makes it jump off the edge of the map: "Nightlord felled… off the map"
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Action Games "SILKSONG IS IMMORTAL AND SO ARE WE": Desperate for answers, Hollow Knight Silksong fans are ritualistically banning mods in savage sacrifice to their fickle god Team Cherry
Key art from Wuchang: Fallen Feathers for the deluxe edition
Action RPGs Bizarre Wuchang: Fallen Feathers patch un-murders historical Chinese characters in massive retcon, makes the game way easier, and breaks a whole chapter: "Faint from exhaustion? Are they Pokemon?"
Screenshots of the game Herdling. A small shepherd in a red hooded jumper accompanies fluffy, fantastical horned creatures across a beautiful natural landscape.
Adventure Games Herdling is a serene, peaceful joy about finding a family in a herd of funny little guys, and I can't get enough
lea seydoux as fragile smoking a cigarette
Games Hideo Kojima learned "so many ways to kill people" in training, says it's "kind of sad" many devs "don't know how to dismantle a gun or shoot a gun" despite making military games
Adolf Hitler points a pistol at someone in Wolfenstein 2
FPS Games "We wanted to actually show Hitler's penis," Wolfenstein 2 devs say, but a Bethesda producer said "I don't advise doing that": "We all need to be saved from ourselves sometimes"
Death Stranding 2
Action Games After Metal Gear Solid 5 made sparing or killing enemies so important, I'm disappointed Death Stranding 2 wasted its most interesting mechanic
Death Stranding 2
Action Games Not even Dollman's constant "guilt-tripping" and the pressure of social media was enough to stop this Death Stranding 2 player from spending an hour hauling a worryingly large pile of dead bodies "for science"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing Astarion, a pale male elf with short curly white hair and red eyes, looking over his shoulder with a smirk on his face
Baldur's Gate "Less poo, more Shakespeare": Baldur's Gate 3 boss Swen Vincke had to ask the RPG's writing team for more variety over Vicious Mockery's many silly insults
Death Stranding 2
Action Games I'm glad the heatwave is over, because if it wasn't I'd think I hallucinated these weird Death Stranding 2 moments, from dancing dolls to sci-fi directors fighting while making pizza
  1. Games

The most gruesome moments in games that involve poultry

Features
By Lorenzo Veloria published 29 November 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Gobble gobble

Gobble gobble

Birds are probably the most hated creature in all of video games. Think about it: as a gamer, whenever you see one flying through the air, or crossing a road, you just want to shoot it. A record of violence between the human gamer and poultry has developed up over the decades, but the aggressors come from both sides. No one knows exactly why the conflict began, or why the violence still continues today. I just know it's fun as hell to watch an explosion of feathers after a shotgun blast. Come on, we've all done it.

I've gathered together some of the most heinous crimes against and by chickens, turkeys and other fowl, to bring to light this continuing trend of abuse in the gaming industry. This Thanksgiving (or, if you're not located in the USA, this "Thursday"), remember these gratuitous acts of violence that have surrounded the digital poultry community over the years, so that one day the aggression might end. Those who have weak constitutions, avert your eyes. Feathers are going to be flying everywhere.

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Chickens caught in the crossfire (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

Chickens caught in the crossfire (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)

Digital poultry are downright downtrodden. Not only are most subjected to suffering a life of endless wandering in our game worlds, some are not even that lucky. The others spend their entire lives in cages, helpless against the whims of the passing gamer with a gun. This was the case with an incident in a Favela town that left dozens of chickens literally caught in the crossfire of a human conflict.

In the small, shanty town British SAS forces attempted to extract an enemy informant, but were met with heavy resistance. As the battle moved to a marketplace located in the town, many of the caged chickens were shot and killed by stray (and not so stray) bullets from the firefight. What was most disturbing about the entire event, a single soldier thought it would be a great achievement to shoot seven caged chickens in under 10 seconds, saying he "was just like Colonel Sanderson."

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Chicken crushed by Golem (Dragon Age: Origins)

Chicken crushed by Golem (Dragon Age: Origins)

The poultry hate doesn't begin and end with the humans and chickens. Other races have also participated in fowl hate crimes. After being frozen by a magical control rod, a Golem named Shale, spent over three decades stuck in the center of the village of Honnleath. Naturally, the local birds, thinking the rock-skinned Golem was merely a statue, perched on Shale over the years, pecking, scratching, leaving their feces on the Golem's shoulders.

Then, the fateful day came when the Grey Warden Commander would release Shale from its prison. But the stone warrior's rage for everything feathered had built up to murderous levels over the years. As the group of adventurers left the village to continue their journey, Shale hung back for one senseless, random act of violence against a passing chicken. With a quick stomp, all that was left of the animal was a blood smear on the road.

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Cuccos attack rambunctious youngster (The Legend of Zelda series)

Cuccos attack rambunctious youngster (The Legend of Zelda series)

Turkeys, chickens, and other birds have shown up in plenty of games before A Link to the Past, taking the abuse from heroes and villains alike for years, but this is when the birds rallied together and said, "Enough!" Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (and future games) gave gamers the freedom to explore the fields of Hyrule. As a carefree, young boy you can chop grass, throw rocks, and, oh yes, abuse cuccos.

But a bird can only take so much. When a cucco suffered continued abuse from the blade-wielding child, the cuccos retaliated in one of the most graphic attacks on a human by a chicken. After taking several blows from the boy's sword, getting stuck with arrows, and being pelted with a boomerang, the cucco victim let out a loud "cockadoodle doo" and called a horde of like-minded friends to assault the child. Luckily, the boy had caught a fairy in a bottle just a few minutes before the attack, who was able to nurse the young hero back to health.

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
A revolution is prematurely snuffed (Fable 3)

A revolution is prematurely snuffed (Fable 3)

The world of Albion keeps feathered creatures in the lowest regard. It's not uncommon to see residents of the towns openly mocking chickens in public. It's always a crapshoot, when a chicken takes to the streets. They don't know if they will get farted on by a man wearing a chicken suit or be outright kicked by locals trying to that the earn the nickname "Chicken Chaser."

It all came to a head in Albion's industrial age. A single chicken took it upon itself to stage a revolution. Escaping from its captivity on a quest to be free from its bonds, the chicken hit the streets, dodging foot traffic, avoiding the hazards of industrial factories, and evading the prying eyes of the public. It was all ended when the chicken was caught by the royal chef, who then put down the rabble rouser with a musket. Watch the event unfold here.

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Operation: Turkey Butt (South Park, Nintendo 64)

Operation: Turkey Butt (South Park, Nintendo 64)

In the small, humble town of South Park, Colorado, the poultry took to the offensive. But these odd events weren't entirely fueled by the bird's quest for retribution--it was spurred on by supernatural powers. Before the attack, a mysterious meteor landed near the rural mountain town, transforming dozens and dozens of turkeys into rabid, mutant death machines that would immediately peck the faces off of any nearby human. In other words, it's the plot of Earthbound, but we won't hold that against it.

Coming to the aid of their fellow man, four young boys bravely fought off the turkey attack. Armed only with what they could find, which included snowballs, toilet plunger launchers, and even the turkey's own bird brethren (chicken eggs fired from a feather-plucked chicken) the boys were able to overcome their aggressors. It was poultry-on-poultry violence at it's worst.

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
Giant lambent chicken runs amuck (Gears of War 3)

Giant lambent chicken runs amuck (Gears of War 3)

The violence surrounding the poultry in gaming isn't limited to incidents on earth. There have also been events of aggression on other planets, including that of the conflict between the human Gears and Locust, the planet Sera. This particular occurrence involved the curious Delta Squad leader and a lambent (mutated) chicken.

The Gears squad leader, Marcus Fenix, decided it would be amusing to yell into three large ventilation pipes while on a mission. Little did he know that the pipes were the home of (what he thought was) a normal chicken. When Fenix decided to begin abusing the bird by attacking and shooting it, the chicken quickly morphed into a fire-breathing, golden monstrosity. What proceeded was a battle of man vs. poultry that ended in a glittery explosion of golden chicken guts, or, as we like to call them, "boneless chicken wings."

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
The mob avenges murdered chicken (Skyrim)

The mob avenges murdered chicken (Skyrim)

Not all humans are aggressive toward the poultry population. There have also been instances when human sympathizers stood up to the needless violence. In the country of Skyrim, the locals of Riverwood took up arms in the defense of a helpless village chicken.

An outsider (probably an escaped criminal) entered the village soon after the destruction of Riverwood's neighboring village of Helgen. The assailant seemed tame at first, talking to the shop keepers, and working with the blacksmith, but as soon as the stranger crossed paths with the village chicken, the warrior broke out into a frenzy and killed the bird. The villagers and guards sprung into action, picking up pitchforks, swords, and any other weapon they could find to fight off the chicken killer. There was no buying off the guards or jail time for this criminal. The punishment fit the crime, and death was the only recompense.

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the tasty, tasty murder...

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the tasty, tasty murder...

There you have it. Those are our picks for the most violent and gruesome poultry-related events in video games' dark history. Now you can go and enjoy your delicious turkey dinner, knowing the noble sacrifice of gaming's digital birds. But that's definitely not all of the horrifying events. Which ones did we miss? What gruesome poultry moments were your favorites? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

For more from us at GamesRadar, check out our gamer gift guide and our Xbox One vs. PS4 article.

Page 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
Lorenzo Veloria
Lorenzo Veloria
Social Links Navigation

Many years ago, Lorenzo Veloria was a Senior Editor here at GamesRadar+ helping to shape content strategy. Since then, Lorenzo has shifted his attention to Future Plc's broader video game portfolio, working as a Senior Brand Marketing Manager to oversee the development of advertising pitches and marketing strategies for the department. He might not have all that much time to write about games anymore, but he's still focused on making sure the latest and greatest end up in front of your eyes one way or another.

See more Games Features
Read more
Peak screenshot
In the age of Steam censorship, Peak devs bravely go where no Peak has gone before and begrudgingly add requested cannibalism feature: "Fine"
 
 
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong borrows The Last of Us and Death Stranding's cruelest trick by making safe zones unsafe, and it's breaking fans more than any boss could: "This is the most anger I have ever felt for any game ever"
 
 
Resident Evil Village
The 25 best video game villains you just love to hate
 
 
Peak screenshot showing players climbing an icy cliff
"Guys we can't add cannibalism to Peak": Co-developer of viral indie survival game lays down the law, despite fans' protests of "what if just one little nibble"
 
 
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild screenshot of Link cooking over a campfire
The Legend of Zelda and Red Dead Redemption 2 have whetted my appetite, so I've found the 7 best cooking games to tuck into
 
 
Elden Ring Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign players sick of Everdark Augur boss can't even pretend to be sad there's a glitch that makes it jump off the edge of the map: "Nightlord felled… off the map"
 
 
Latest in Games
Deltarune mascot poses triumphantly on black background
Toby Fox doesn't think Deltarune Chapter 5 "will be released in the first half of 2026" but there's some good news: "we don't have any external factors surrounding the release date this time. We'll release it when it's done"
 
 
Borderlands 4 Vex Siren overview
Best Borderlands 4 Siren build for Vex
 
 
Borderlands 4
As Borderlands 4 players dub Vex "the strongest vault hunter in the entire series," Gearbox responds to worries regarding potential nerfs: "Chill guys, we're not going to knee-jerk react to anything"
 
 
Pokemon Legends Z-A
Pokemon Legends Z-A locks the Mega Evolutions for the Kalos starters to ranked seasons, making them impossible to get without paying for Nintendo Switch Online
 
 
Key art for Lego Voyagers showing the two lego heroes with red and blue brick eyes near a rocket
Lego Voyagers review: "A carefully crafted, playful, and earnest adventure"
 
 
Borderlands 4 new Vault Hunter Rafa with electric blades
Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says Borderlands 4 performance isn't bad, your expectations are just too high: "If you’re not 4k stubborn and just want to have a great, fun time with higher perf, please consider running at 1440p resolution"
 
 
Latest in Features
Man of Tomorrow concept art showing Superman and Lex Luthor teaming up superimposed over a group of heroes from the cover of Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?
Almost 90 years after Superman was first called the Man of Tomorrow, James Gunn is reviving the name for his big sequel
 
 
Pokemon Pokopia screenshot showing Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all gathered around a Ditto in human form between two green trees
Pokemon Pokopia: everything we know about the Pokemon game that looks a lot like Animal Crossing
 
 
A taurus-shaped robotic figure with flaming innards, against a dark background with rocks visible
Helsmiths of Hashut review: Fear this new Warhammer Age of Sigmar army, because it's gonna kick ass
 
 
A screenshot of the upcoming Switch 2 game, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave with a character using a purple energy blast
Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave – Everything we know about the strategy game's Switch 2 debut
 
 
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
Downton Abbey helped me through the toughest times, but The Grand Finale feels like the perfect time to wrap things up
 
 
Upcoming video game movies: Mario, Princess Peach and Toad in The Super Mario Bros Movie.
Super Mario Galaxy Movie release date, cast, plot, and everything else you need to know about The Super Mario Bros. sequel
 
 
  1. Key art for Lego Voyagers showing the two lego heroes with red and blue brick eyes near a rocket
    1
    Lego Voyagers review: "A carefully crafted, playful, and earnest adventure"
  2. 2
    There's now a real version of the Witcher Gwent card game, and it's just as engrossing as the original
  3. 3
    Borderlands 4 review: "Undeniably an excellent looter shooter, but one that requires a bit of tunnel vision to fully enjoy"
  4. 4
    This enormous exploration board game won't be for everyone, but it's a masterclass in narrative and sandbox gameplay
  5. 5
    Hollow Knight Silksong review: "Worth the wait and then some, this isn't just more Hollow Knight but an evolved, spindly beast all its own – even if it's fiddly at times"
  1. Vera Farmiga as 'Lorraine' in The Conjuring: Last Rites
    1
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  2. 2
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  3. 3
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  4. 4
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  5. 5
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  1. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Wednesday season 2 part 2
    1
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"
  2. 2
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  3. 3
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  4. 4
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  5. 5
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...