Detroit: Become Human Easter egg: turning characters into pigeons without mods
According to a Canadian and American audience, a vocal creator known as dragonbane highlighted a built in feature in Detroit: Become Human that lets game characters transform into birds. The effect is achieved entirely within the base game on PC and PlayStation systems, with no third party modifications required.
The following instructions are presented for PC users, followed by a PS5 and PS4 workflow. While some steps reference old timing for the Konami code, the core idea remains a dated but nostalgic unlock that changes character form to a dove or pigeon as a visual gimmick.
- Users should manually set their system date to August 15, 2038 to begin the sequence.
- Launch Detroit: Become Human with that date in place. If Windows restores the clock automatically, temporarily disable automatic time synchronization.
- Connect either an Xbox or a DualShock controller to the computer to ensure input is accepted reliably.
- Load any chapter and enter the traditional Konami code within a four second window. After completing the sequence, hold the confirm button for a moment to trigger the transformation. The code pattern is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A with variations on DualShock depending on the button layout.
In the code notes, the phrase Konami code appears as a marker for the moment the feature is unlocked.
For PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, the process follows a similar path with a few timing tweaks:
- Begin from a clean start in the main menu to ensure the proper environment is loaded.
- Adjust the game date to September 18, 2017 in the system settings or in game options where applicable.
- Start the game and navigate to the main menu.
- Enter the Konami code using the PS controller, which is up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, cross, circle. The input window is brief, approximately 2.5 seconds, and there is no external visual confirmation once activated.
- Change the date again after the game begins without closing the title, such as shifting only the day. This keeps the session active while adjusting time settings.
- From the main menu, re-enter the Konami code in the same sequence as before to reinitialize the effect. Again, there is no outward indicator of success.
- Load each chapter in turn as desired.
- During gameplay, re-enter the code within the same tight window to transform the character into a pigeon creature. This change persists through the current session, acting as a playful, non permanent cosmetic stunt.
In sum, this Easter egg first surfaced as a playful homage to a classic Nintendo code and later echoed in various gaming communities for its humorous effect. The Konami code originated in the 1986 NES game Gradius and gained broader fame in the US version of Contra as a cheat that granted extra lives, a feature long celebrated by players and speedrunners alike. The social memory of this sequence keeps the community engaged and curious about other hidden features in Detroit: Become Human.
Origin and context can be traced to gaming outlets and communities that discuss retro code exploits and their modern descendants. As noted by VG Times, the Konami code has a storied place in video game lore and continues to inspire playful experimentation across platforms.