Chickens have been a staple of the Counter-Strike experience since the days of 1.6, though players have never really been able to interact with them beyond killing them on sight. However, new leaked animations imply that we’ll soon be able to pick up and inspect chickens.
WHY are there chickens in Counter-Strike?!
The animations were shared by dataminers on X (formerly Twitter) on May 24. They include three entirely new animations that are apparently meant to be viewed from a first-person perspective, and given the way they move, it's as if the chicken is being inspected by an unseen pair of hands. The chick is seemingly picked up and rocked from side to side while its tiny head remains fixed on the player. These animations are currently dormant, but based on how detailed they are, "chicken inspection" could be just around the corner.
A video of the inspection animation in action was also shared by content creator PoPw0w, giving us a glimpse at what it could look like in-game. While this isn't a confirmed addition just yet, it would certainly make for a hilarious add-on for CS2. The competitive viability of stopping mid-fire to pick up a chicken isn't entirely clear, though.
Of course, if chickens were to get a full inspection feature, players are also wondering if Valve would add chicken customization. We’ve seen chickens wear party hats and Christmas clothes during seasonal events, so the possibility of chicken skins can’t be dismissed out of hand. Imagine the possibilities: thousands of dollars for a skin that changes the appearance of your chicken.
