#ZENOSTHEROOSTER

FFXIV players are obsessed with an IRL rooster, and the fan art is amazing

Look at all those chickens!

by Robin Bea
Square Enix

Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.2 arrives August 23, adding the anticipated Island Sanctuary for players to grow crops and hang out with pets. To celebrate, the FFXIV Twitch channel hosted a livestream featuring — what else — farm animals.

FFXIV’s notably chill players flocked to the Mogchute Farm livestream to watch the animals at Mudchute Farm in London just be animals for hours on end. Then, something incredible happened.

One bright and chonky rooster caught viewers’ attention. They dubbed the bird Zenos — after one of FFXIV’s most popular villains — and their admiration quickly spilled over into glorious fan art.

Halebob brought Zenos and his namesake together — to the original’s dismay.

@HalebobUwU

As vm0118 shows, there’s really no good introduction when you meet a legend.

@vm0118

Is it weird to call a rooster handsome? Because Filthylizzer’s feathery rendition of Zenos definitely is.

@Filthylizzer

Like g0g0mi, any FFXIV player who’s battled Zenos will have his line “A test of your reflexes!” burned into their brain forever.

@g0g0mi

Darikis includes Lyse, a livestream-famous chicken named after FFXIV’s premier pugilist.

@_Darikis_

DefNotReyes honors another iconic Zenos line (replacing “hate” and “rage” with the much nicer “grain” and “seeds”).

@DefNotReyes

Nokomento’s incredible action shot shows Zenos going toe-to-claw with a Warrior of Light frog.

@nokomento

SetumiSketches’ Zenos fursona turns the rooster’s feathers into a battle-ready cloak.

@SetumiSketches

Mudchute Farm has embraced the community’s support, officially naming the now-famous bird Zenos the Rooster. A community charity, Mudchute relies on donations to care for its more than 100 animals.

“We did not think for a minute that a little rooster would become the star of the stream.”

Mudchute Farm Manager Tom Davis tells Inverse

“The donations coming in from generous viewers will make such a difference to the animals here at the farm.”

Mudchute Farm Manager Tom Davis tells Inverse

Square Enix

Mogchute Farm runs through August 19, four days before FFXIV Patch 6.2 goes live.