PETA has gone after Nintendo over Mario Kart World, requesting that the gaming titan make one change to Cow by removing the character’s brass nose ring. In a letter sent to Shuntaro Furukawa, Nintendo president, PETA stressed that ‘nose rings are forcibly pierced through one of the most sensitive parts of a cow’s body.’
The argument is that Cow’s nose accessory in Mario Kart World is ‘glossing over real-world violence’ and should be removed.
Why is PETA Bothering Nintendo?
In a post published hours ago (at the time of writing), PETA explained what the deal was with it chasing down Nintendo over a design decision in Mario Kart World:
We know Mario Kart World is just a game—and that’s exactly why Cow’s nose ring needs to go. Mario Kart is supposed to be a fun escape, not a reminder of the painful tools used on cows in the meat and dairy industries. No one wants to think about animal suffering while zipping around a race track.
The team wrote, ‘No cow in the real world who is forced to wear a nose ring would ever sport Cow’s goofy grin in Nintendo’s game.’
I advise checking out the PETA link above with care—it’s a short jump from the article to some gruesome images, which is a classic shock move for the organization.
This isn’t the first time that PETA has challenged developers or publishers. In January 2024, I secured an exclusive statement from the organization regarding a vegan outcry against Palworld:
PETA has already heard from many Palworld fans who have no interest in eating ‘Pals’ and want a vegan guide created for the game. It’s ‘Veganuary’ after all, and gamers want to help animals by eating vegan in their game worlds and outside.
PETA has also petitioned against Hunting Simulator 2 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The latter claim was that players are encouraged to be ‘abusive towards fish and insects.’
Seriously.
Do you think there’s any weight to PETA’s petition against Nintendo? Let me know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Chris Hansen is going after Roblox
