Overview
- Players discovered the feature after the September 22 update when Weekly Drops began awarding Chicken Eggs that take up both drop slots and hatch after about a week.
- Once hatched, chicks can be named, photographed, fed to grow, perform tricks, sit on the operator’s shoulder, and eventually develop into one of many non-tradeable adult chicken variants.
- Reports differ on the exact variant count with outlets citing roughly 35 to 41 color and breed combinations split into types such as Catalana, Silkie, and Polish.
- Valve did not include the pets in the official patch notes and has offered no public explanation, leaving players to debate whether the system is a lighthearted addition or an engagement strategy.
- Some players and writers say the weekly feeding loop and non-tradeable design could boost short-term logins, while critics warn the feature does not address persistent cheating and recent drops in peak players.