PETA has once again turned its sights on Nintendo, this time calling for the removal of the nose ring from the Cow character in Mario Kart World. The U.S. animal rights nonprofit argues that the detail glamorizes animal cruelty and clashes with the otherwise whimsical, family-friendly nature of the game.
PETA’s Concerns About Mario Kart World’s Cow
In an open letter addressed to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, PETA described nose rings as a painful tool of control used in industrial farming. The group argues that such accessories, typically made of brass, are forced through the septum of cows and bulls, causing chronic discomfort.
PETA’s SVP Joel Bartlett explained:
“This marvelous Moo Moo’s goofy grin has charmed gamers around the world, but her real-life counterparts who are tormented and violently yanked around by their noses have nothing to smile about.”
The letter goes further, detailing how spiked nose rings are sometimes used to sever maternal bonds by making nursing painful for calves, portraying the accessory as a symbol of animal suffering.
Fan-Favorite Character at the Center of Debate
Since its launch in June 2025 alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World has quickly become a hit, with Cow earning a place as one of the game’s most beloved new racers. The character’s cheerful design and immediate availability made her a fan favorite, which PETA claims makes the issue even more pressing.
Apart from the letter, PETA is rallying its supporters through Peta2, its youth-focused division, asking fans to petition Nintendo to redesign the character.
Nintendo’s Silence — and PETA’s Broader Strategy
Nintendo has not issued any response to the open letter. Historically, the company has chosen not to engage with PETA’s campaigns, making it unlikely that Cow’s design will be altered.
That said, PETA’s approach seems less about forcing Nintendo’s hand and more about leveraging Mario Kart World’s global visibility to spark conversations about animal agriculture practices.
A History of PETA vs. Nintendo
This is far from the first time PETA has targeted Nintendo. The group has repeatedly protested its games over the years:
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2008: Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals parody game called for vegetarian options.
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2011: Mario Kills Tanooki denounced Mario’s Tanooki Suit in Super Mario 3D Land.
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2012: Pokémon: Black and Blue criticized Pokémon battles as animal abuse.
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2013: Pokémon: Red, White, and Blue targeted McDonald’s Pokémon Happy Meals.
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2016: Declared its L.A. office a Pokémon GO “safe zone,” comparing catching Pokémon to captivity.
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2017: Protested the 1-2-Switch cow-milking mini-game for portraying dairy farming as “too pleasant.”
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2019: Ran the “I’m not your Wooloo sweater” campaign against sheep shearing in Pokémon Sword and Shield.
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2020: Published a vegan guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, urging players not to fish or build the museum.
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2025: Called on Nintendo to remove Cow’s brass nose ring in Mario Kart World.
While Nintendo may not act on PETA’s latest demand, the controversy shines a spotlight on how gaming intersects with real-world ethics. Whether players agree or not, the debate over Mario Kart World’s Cow has already become part of the game’s cultural footprint.