8 Most Spiteful Video Game Easter Eggs Ever

Battlefield saw an opportunity to trash-talk Call Of Duty, and took it.

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Activision/Rockstar

Whatever the intention behind a video game easter egg is, those intentions are usually pure: it could be a designer tipping the hat to one of their favourite childhood games, a sequel tease that only hardcore fans will catch, or a playful, harmless joke.

We don't usually think of these hidden nods as being cruel or mean-spirited, but every now and then... they are.

It's pretty rare, but sometimes we'll see easter eggs with intentions that are a bit more malicious - created to mock, insult, or chastise their chosen targets.

Whether it's a throwaway line of dialogue or a more blatant visual gag, some easter eggs are basically designed to be spiteful, whether they're dunking on rival franchises, raising the middle finger at a particularly shady publisher, or even commenting on real-life issues that the developers feel strongly about.

As is often the case with easter eggs, many of these will fly right over the heads of some gamers, and even if they are noticed, their true, spiteful meanings might even be missed entirely - but those meanings are definitely there.

8. Leaps Of Faith Are Dumb (The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings)

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CD Projekt

We all know that video games aren't exactly designed with realism in mind, but that hasn't stopped some people from pointing out how ludicrous Assassin's Creed's leap of faith stunts truly are.

"These ordinary humans dive off buildings that are hundreds of feet in the air... and they cushion their landings with measly bales of hay?! What?!"

Bear in mind that this is a franchise where a patch of grass can obscure you from view, even when you're right in front of an enemy soldier... but sure, let's all single out the leaps of faith.

It's not just the fans that like to joke about this over-the-top element of the Assassin's Creed games, either. The developers of 2011's The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings also joined in on the mockery, with an early-game mission leading Geralt to a dead assassin - who has clearly died from a long fall - lying in a bed of hay.

Now sure, you could interpret this as a playful nod to a competing action-adventure franchise, but Geralt's droll line "Guess they'll never learn" makes it feel more like a mean-spirited diss.

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Contributor

WhoCulture Channel Manager/Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture. Can confirm that bow ties are cool.