Final Fantasy 14 fans fear for Alpha the chocobo's safety after he's whisked away by Colonel Sanders in the MMO's latest KFC collab

A screenshot of Colonel Sanders seen in Final Fantasy 14.
(Image credit: Square Enix / KFC Japan)

Final Fantasy 14 fans are in turmoil, and deeply concerned about the safety of the beloved chocobo, Alpha, after he was shown being whisked away by KFC's Colonel Sanders, who may or may not be envisioning him in a bucket. 

The award-winning Final Fantasy MMORPG is soon launching a second collaboration with KFC, which, as Famitsu reports (translated by Google and DeepL), will see the return of the 'Eat fried chicken' emote, as well as the distribution of some Final Fantasy-themed stickers for KFC customers in Japan. On top of that, there'll be a lottery for those who buy the Final Fantasy 14 Collaboration Set meal, with the grand prize being a one-of-a-kind figure of the Colonel himself riding a motorcycle, with Alpha the chocobo in the sidecar.

It's a really cool prize, of course, but the implications of the KFC mascot seemingly making a run for it with the fan-favorite bird in tow are troubling, to say the least, and fans on Twitter have been reacting exactly as you'd expect: "WHERE IS HE TAKING MY SON?"

"ALPHA GET OUT OF THERE!!! HE'S GOING TO COOK YOU!!!" another fan desperately screams into the void.

"NO ALPHA!!! THAT MAN IS DANGEROUS!!!! GET OUT OF THE SIDECAR AND FOR THE LOVE OF LIGHT DON'T GET IN ANY BUCKETS!!!" pleads another. 

Given that there's apparently only going to be one of these figures distributed, it's likely going to be a very hot commodity, even if only to ensure the safety of poor Alpha, who clearly doesn't know what he's getting into. For those in Japan, the Final Fantasy 14 KFC collaboration will be available from June 10 until June 30, and will only be available via online orders.

For more games like Final Fantasy 14, be sure to check out our list of the top 10 best MMORPGs.

Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of 12DOVE's news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.