Peak’s Cannibalism Patch Shocked Devs — Eating Teammates Is Now Optional
Peak’s recent cannibalism feature briefly let hungry players eat teammates automatically, and the change surprised some of the developers as well as players. After pushback, the mechanic was nerfed and made opt-in, and the team adjusted the penalties and timing for the option.
- What the original cannibalism change did and why players complained.
- How Landfall responded and what was adjusted.
- What else is coming in Peak’s new Mesa update.
How the cannibalism feature worked
In Peak, hunger is a gameplay factor. After the late-July change, very hungry players could see teammates appear as eatable targets in front of them. If someone ate another player, the victim died and the eater gained a curse state. Both death and curse could be reversed with in-game items.
Player reaction
Some players reported that the mechanic could be abused. For example, one player said jerks were intentionally hiding food to force others into eating teammates, which made matches toxic for people playing with randoms. You can read that Steam discussion here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/3527290/discussions/0/592904149587289377/.
Developer response
Landfall Games adjusted the feature so cannibalism is now opt-in. Players who keep cannibalism enabled will see the option appear earlier than before, and the penalty for eating a teammate has been increased. The stated goal was to reduce the appeal of the action and cut down on potential toxicity.
Landfall Games head of communications Hanna Fogelberg said: “Well, shockingly, not everyone is down to eat their friends,” she joked. “We thought we were living in a pro-cannibalism society, but we were mistaken. No, but Peak is inherently about cooperation and friendship, so we wanted to give players the option to opt out of being eaten or being able to eat others. We didn’t really get a lot of displeased players, just some who politely asked for a way to opt out, and we thought it was a very reasonable request.”
Fogelberg also noted another reaction: “We were both delighted and a bit shocked, along with the players!”
Who makes Peak
Peak is a collaboration between two indie studios: Landfall Games (known for Totally Accurate Battle Simulator) and Aggro Crab (known for Going Under and Another Crab’s Treasure). The cannibalism mechanic was added while some team members at Landfall were on vacation, which contributed to the surprise.
Mesa update details
The developers describe the Mesa release as Peak’s first “major” update. It adds a new biome, new items such as dynamite, and new badges. The update arrives the same day the change to the cannibalism mechanic was rolled back to opt-in.
The game’s trailer shows environmental effects and new character visuals; some players have pointed out a character wearing a flower crown in that teaser. For reference, the trailer is here:
Bottom line
The cannibalism feature was introduced, caused complaints about possible abuse, and was then adjusted to be opt-in with stronger penalties. Meanwhile, the Mesa update expands the game with new content that is available now.
