Game Fuel Recipe Evolution: The Change Over Time

The original Mountain Dew Game Fuel was released in 2007 to promote the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. The drink was citrus cherry-flavoured and was discontinued 12 weeks after its release. Since then, Mountain Dew has released several other Game Fuel flavours to promote video games, including World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and Titanfall 2. While the formula has changed over the years, the citrus cherry flavour has been re-released multiple times under different names.

Did the original Game Fuel flavour change?

Game Fuel is a Mountain Dew promotional flavour that has been released multiple times since 2007, often in partnership with video games. The original flavour, Citrus Cherry, was released in 2007 to promote Halo 3. Since then, the Citrus Cherry flavour has been re-released several times, sometimes with a different name, and sometimes with a slightly different formula.

In 2009, two new flavours were introduced to promote World of Warcraft: the original Citrus Cherry flavour, and a new wild berry flavour. In 2011, Mountain Dew announced the return of the Game Fuel promotion, with the original Citrus Cherry flavour and a new tropical companion flavour. In 2012, a separate red-orange flavour was released in the United Kingdom to promote Halo 4. In 2013, a new blueberry-flavoured version, titled "Electrifying Berry", was released. In 2014, the Citrus Cherry flavour was re-released without promoting any video game.

In 2015, Game Fuel returned with a new lemonade flavour to promote Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. In 2016, Game Fuel was released with a new mango-flavoured variant, alongside the original Citrus Cherry flavour, to promote the game Titanfall 2. In 2017, Game Fuel returned with two previously discontinued flavours: Arctic Burst and Tropical Smash. In 2023, Game Fuel returned with two flavours: Citrus Cherry and Mystic Punch, promoting Halo Infinite and Diablo IV, respectively.

While the original flavour of Game Fuel, Citrus Cherry, has been re-released multiple times, it is unclear whether the formula has changed since its initial release in 2007. However, some sources suggest that the formula is not exactly the same as the original, as one user comments that the new Game Fuel "sucks".

What is the current recipe for Game Fuel?

The recipe for Mountain Dew's Game Fuel has changed over the years, with the drink being released in limited runs to promote video games. The original 2007 recipe for the citrus cherry flavour, released to promote Halo 3, was modified in 2015 to contain both HFCS and artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium and sucralose/Splenda. This reduced the drink's calories to 100 per standard can and 170 per standard 20-ounce bottle.

In 2019, a new line of Game Fuel drinks called Amp Game Fuel was introduced, which was later renamed simply "Game Fuel". These drinks come in resealable cans and contain 90 mg of caffeine, as well as theanine and vitamins A and B. The citrus cherry flavour from the original Game Fuel lineup was re-released under this product line in April 2022.

In 2023, Game Fuel was released once again with two flavours: Citrus Cherry and Mystic Punch. These flavours promoted two different Xbox games: Halo Infinite and Diablo IV, respectively.

What was the original recipe for Game Fuel?

Mountain Dew's Game Fuel was originally released in 2007 to promote the video game Halo 3. The drink was a new version of Mountain Dew with a cherry-citrus flavour and a red dye. The drink was branded with the Halo 3 logo and a picture of the game's main character, Master Chief.

The original Game Fuel was only available for 12 weeks, but it was brought back for future game promotions, including for Halo 4 in 2012. The drink has also been released in other countries, including the UK, India, Russia, and several European countries, with some variations in flavour and colour.

The original Game Fuel flavour has been compared to Mountain Dew's previously released "Code Red" (cherry flavour) and "Livewire" (citrus orange flavour). Some have described the taste as similar to a blend of the two, or like a liquid gummy bear. However, others have disliked the flavour, claiming it tastes like cherry cough syrup.

How does the new Game Fuel taste compared to the old one?

The Mountain Dew Amp Game Fuel, released in 2019, has four flavours: Original Dew, Berry Blast, Cherry Burst, and Tropical Strike. The Original Dew flavour has been described as "horrendous", "terrible", and "the worst flavour of the bunch". The Berry Blast flavour has been described as "good" and "fine". The Cherry Burst flavour has been described as "the best flavour of the bunch", "not too sweet, not too fruity, and not too bitter", and "solid". The Tropical Strike flavour has been described as "bad" and "not much better than the original flavour".

The original Game Fuel flavour, Citrus Cherry, has been described as "the best game fuel flavour they've made", "fantastic", and "great". The Lemonade flavour has been described as "fantastic" and "the best Mountain Dew flavour". The Tropical flavour has been described as "decent". The Blueberry flavour, Electrifying Berry, has been described as "good". The Berry Lime flavour has been described as "good". The Mango Heat flavour has been described as "good".

Why did Game Fuel change?

Mountain Dew Game Fuel is a flavour of the Mountain Dew soft drink brand, owned by PepsiCo. The flavour was first released in 2007 to promote the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. The drink was branded with promotional artwork for the game, including its main character, Master Chief. The original flavour, Citrus Cherry, has been a recurring release, often to coincide with new Halo games.

In 2009, two new flavours of Mountain Dew Game Fuel were released to promote the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft. One was the original Citrus Cherry flavour, and the other was a new wild fruit flavour, similar to Pepsi Blue. In 2011, Mountain Dew announced another return of the Game Fuel promotion, this time with a new tropical companion flavour to the original Citrus Cherry. In 2012, a separate red-orange flavour was released in the United Kingdom to promote Halo 4.

In 2013, Mountain Dew announced that Game Fuel would be returning with a new blueberry-flavoured version, Electrifying Berry, which promoted the Xbox One and the games Dead Rising 3 and Forza Motorsport 5. In 2014, the original Citrus Cherry flavour returned without promoting any video game. In the same year, Game Fuel returned with a new lemonade flavour for the promotion of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. In 2015, Game Fuel returned with a new companion flavour, Berry Lime, for the promotion of Call of Duty: Black Ops III.

In 2016, Game Fuel was released with a new mango-flavoured variant, Mango Heat, promoting the game Titanfall 2. In 2017, Game Fuel returned with two previously discontinued flavours: Arctic Burst and Tropical Smash. In 2019, PepsiCo introduced a new line of Game Fuel drinks called Amp Game Fuel, which was later renamed simply to "Game Fuel". In 2023, Game Fuel returned with two flavours: Citrus Cherry and Mystic Punch, promoting Halo Infinite and Diablo IV respectively.

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