Goats have captured gamers‘ imaginations in recent years through quirky simulated chaos. But does the iconic goat from Goat Simulator have a definitive gender? We‘ll tackle the mystery from all angles.
Meet Pilgor – Goat Simulator‘s agent of destruction
Goat Simulator took the gaming world by storm in 2014 with its ragdoll physics insanity. The game drops players into an open world as an everyday goat named Pilgor. But this is no ordinary grazer – Pilgor wields a prehensile tongue and headbutting prowess that enable truly ridiculous destruction:
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Pilgor can latch onto objects or hapless citizens with its tongue and ragdoll them around the environment. Talk about a powerful licker!
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By sprinting and leaping into headbutt position, Pilgor can flatten both people and structures with its granite-hard cranium. Now that‘s using your head for troublemaking!
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The goat can explore its open world by grinding rails, climbing buildings, and jumping with parkour precision no actual goat could achieve.
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Players can activate "mutators" that give Pilgor special powers like telekinesis or the ability to summon demonic goats from the underworld. Beware the goatpocalypse!
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Easter eggs and special areas like the ILLUMINATI Petting Zoo poke fun at conspiracy theories and hidden secrets. Exploration is rewarded with comedy.
Pilgor‘s capabilities for chaos make Goat Simulator an encapsulation of sandbox gaming comedy. It became an immediate hit, with over 1 million sales in its first month. Critics praised the absurdity and humor in letting loose a goat on unsuspecting towns. It tapped into the same appeal as playing a rampaging bull in a china shop!
Is Pilgor a girl or a boy? Let‘s weigh the evidence
So what gender is this agent of goat mayhem? There‘s evidence both for Pilgor being female and male:
The case for Pilgor being female
- Pilgor is referred to with "she" and "her" pronouns in the Goat Simulator game guide and most discussions.
- The goat‘s eyelashes, floppy ears, and high-pitched baas seem feminine.
- When goat skins appear in games like Fortnite and Goat Simulator 3, they are considered female.
- In general, female goats are more common as they‘re required for reproduction. Bucks make up just 20-35% of goat populations.
The case for Pilgor being male
- In some early teaser trailers, Pilgor‘s bleats use a manipulated, deeper pitch more reminiscent of a buck.
- Pilgor‘s reckless desire for destruction and domination fits stereotypical male traits.
- The gender-neutral name "Pilgor" doesn‘t offer any clues one way or the other.
So in the end, the evidence points toward Pilgor being a nanny rather than a billy! But the developers likely didn‘t spend much time concerning themselves with Pilgor‘s gender identity. As a vessel for untamed goat mayhem, Pilgor transcends traditional biological categories.
Breaking down male vs female goat terminology
Let‘s quickly cover some goat gender terminology in case you ever need to distinguish a billy from a nanny:
- Male goats are called bucks or billies. Look for horns, beards, and masculine bulk.
- Female goats are called does or nannies. Look for a feminine, slender appearance.
- Baby goats are called kids, and give no indication of gender. Both bucklings and doelings may be kids.
- Castrated male goats are called wethers. This term applies regardless of age.
- Yearling refers to young goats from 1-2 years old. Again, this applies to both sexes.
So if you‘re ever out meeting goats face-to-face, you‘ll know exactly how to refer to them. It‘s considered quite rude in goat society to misgender a billy or nanny!
Why did Goat Simulator earn a mature rating?
For a game starring a humble farmyard animal, Goat Simulator earned a surprising PEGI 12 rating denoting it‘s suitable for ages 12 and up. What justified this mature rating?
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Destructive Violence – Pilgor wreaks realistic physical havoc, from headbutting people off roofs to blowing up gas stations. This brutal gameplay warranted caution.
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Profanity – Pilgor‘s constant loud bleating could be interpreted as obscene cursing. Parents are rightfully wary of salty-mouthed livestock!
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Mayhem – Wanton property damage and anarchic action are Pilgor‘s stock-in-trade. Not exactly a positive message for kids.
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Crude Humor – Toilet plungers, belching, and rude references are played for laughs. Again, pushing boundaries of good taste.
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Sexuality – Some silly simulated mating quick-time events and phallic symbols are included. Unfit for youngin‘s eyes!
While Pilgor‘s chaos is cartoonish, the goat‘s wild behavior justified restricting the game for more mature audiences. Younger gamers may be better off admiring Pilgor from afar!
Is Fortnite‘s Guff skin a girl goat or boy?
Fortnite Battle Royale caused a stir when it added an anthropomorphic goat skin named Guff to the item shop in Chapter 2 Season 3. This upright-walking goat immediately became a fan favorite. But is Guff a nanny or a billy? The evidence points to girl:
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Feminine figure – Guff has an hourglass silhouette, with wide hips and a bustline accentuated by the crop top hoodie.
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Cute animations – Guff minces about daintily, with hands clasped behind the back and delicate head tilts. Not very buckish.
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Female by default – Players overwhelmingly use "she/her" pronouns for Guff in discussion posts and fan art.
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Kid appeal – Guff seems geared toward female players, as a cute non-human "furry" skin.
While Guff‘s gender isn‘t definitively confirmed, Fortnite fans can rest assured that this particular goat gal isn‘t likely to take after Pilgor‘s wanton destruction!
Do intersex goats exist in the real world?
We‘re exploring whether Pilgor leans more nanny or billy. But in extremely rare cases, real goats can actually have both male and female physical traits! Let‘s explore intersex goats:
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What is intersex? Intersex animals have reproductive anatomy that doesn‘t fit binary male or female classification. They may have testes yet also have female genitalia.
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What causes it? Genetic conditions like chimerism or hormonal imbalances during fetal development result in blended attributes. Up to 22% of goats may display some intersex traits.
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True hermaphrodites that have both ovarian and testicular tissue are extraordinarily rare in goats. Most intersex goats are anatomically female but have disorders like polled intersex syndrome that cause masculine features.
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How are they managed? Many intersex goats live normal lives as sterile females after being desexed. Others may be allowed to mature and breed as bucks if they appear functional. Proper vet care ensures their wellbeing.
So while Pilgor doesn‘t show clear evidence of being intersex, the possibility can‘t be completely ruled out either! Nature has proven goats defy binary notions of gender.
Age matters: When are goats usually slaughtered?
Pilgor appears fully grown in Goat Simulator – so how old might this agent of chaos be? Let‘s look at when goats are usually slaughtered:
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3-5 months – Most goat kids are slaughtered at 3-5 months old, once they reach target weights of 25-50 lbs. At this juvenile age, the meat remains extra tender.
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Under 1 year – Goats slaughtered under one year almost always produce the most high-quality meat. Older goats start developing more collagen and muscle fibers.
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1-2 years – Goats may occasionally be slaughtered up to 2 years old while still yielding decent meat. But quantity and tenderness decline.
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Cull goats – Spent adults over 2 years old are usually only slaughtered when culled from herds. The meat is tough and stringy.
Given Pilgor‘s size, this ovine troublemaker is likely over a year old. While Pilgor‘s meat would be inferior, this mature age allows maximum destruction!
Notable villains from Fortnite‘s lore explained
Pilgor joins the ranks of Fortnite baddies when crossing over into the battle royale island. But who are Fortnite‘s most notorious villains? Let‘s recap:
Midas – The sinister mastermind behind Shadow who can turn objects into gold. He flooded the island in Season 2 to gain control.
Geno – The true evil overlord manipulating events on the island from afar. He oversees the Imagined Order and Seven factions.
Slone – The former leader of The Seven who betrayed the superhero alliance to side with the IO. Her treachery kicked off the war between factions.
The Cube Queen – An evil queen summoned forth by Kevin the Cube in Season 8. She unleashed monstrous Cubes to corrupt the island with sideways zones.
Doctor Slone – The calculating leader of the IO who resorts to extreme methods like abducting characters and constructing a giant Collider.
Pilgor – The Goat Simulator goat herself brings mayhem during crossover events with her headbutting havoc and demonic rituals. Beware!
So while Pilgor‘s carnage is played for laughs, this goat fits right in with Fortnite‘s lineup of reality-threatening baddies!
Goats in myth and legend – Satanic symbols or noble tricksters?
Throughout history, goats have been burdened with contrasting mythic symbolism:
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Satanic association – Goats are linked with the occult and devil worship, envisioned as steeds of Satan and witches. Their strange eyes and omnivorous appetite disturbed superstitious communities.
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Symbolic sacrifice – Scapegoat derives from an ancient ritual of placing sins on a goat and exiling it. Goats sacrificed for atonement were said to please demonic spirits.
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Pagan tricksters – But goats also symbolized fertility, perseverance and nonconformity in ancient pagan faiths. They represented cleverness over brute strength.
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Nature‘s anarchists – Today goats still symbolize wildness, stubbornness and subversiveness through metal and punk subcultures. Their punk rock attitude inspires chaos.
As a product of the digital age, Pilgor balances ancient fears of Satanic goats with contemporary amusement at their anarchic spirit. Part dubious demon, part scrappy trickster, all troublemaker!
In summary: Don‘t overthink Pilgor‘s gender identity
While male and female goats have distinct identities, fixating too much on Pilgor‘s gender risks missing the point – this goat symbolizes untamed animal mischief. Any buck or nanny is equally capable of slingshotting into a gas station to make it explode!
But if pressed to take a side, the preponderance of evidence suggests Pilgor is a nanny unleashing feminine chaos. Not that a binary view of gender allows for the layers of symbolism Pilgor represents.
At the end of the day, all goat fans can agree that Pilgor remains one of gaming‘s most memorable four-legged agents of pandemonium. We eagerly await whatever bizarre simulations Pilgor stars in next! What gender will game developers assign then?