Hong Kong is one of many places that is currently under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. That's not stopping people from protesting, though — Animal Crossing Hong Kong protests are taking place via the game.
USG has an extensive report on the subject, detailing how gamers are making use of the game's custom design feature (and some of the built-in cosmetics) to express their furor with the political situation in Hong Kong.
As it stands, the game already has several iconic items of clothing available — umbrellas, gas masks, and various other bits of clothing can let these protestors dress up in the same way as they do on the streets. However, the truly impressive expressions have been made through the game's Custom Design feature.
What the Animal Crossing Hong Kong Protests Look Like
If you're unfamiliar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons (or the franchise in general), you may not be aware of the "Custom Design" feature. This allows players to create pixel art and then subsequently display it on clothing, as wall paintings, or on the ground. While the overall palette is quite small, multiple images can be combined on the floor to paint a larger picture — and the protestors are doing exactly that.
The above image shows Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam with piles of garbage and fossilized dinosaur feces left atop her portrait. Without going into all of the fine details, Carrie Lam is seen as a controversial figure by democracy protestors for a variety of reasons. Stated issues include the banning of a minor independent political party and an approval rating of 9.1%.
I've just touched upon the full scope of what's going on here; there's a lot more to see in the USG article on the Animal Crossing Hong Kong protests.
Read more about how the COVID-19 novel coronavirus is affecting the gaming world at our Coronavirus Gaming Convention Cancellations and Game Delays Hub.
What do you think of Animal Crossing: New Horizons players continuing the Hong Kong protests in-game? Would you prefer that they leave politics out of this island getaway experience or not? Let us know in the comments below!
