Advertisements have become an unavoidable part of the digital experience. Whether scrolling through social media, streaming videos, or even reading articles, marketing messages interrupt the flow. Video games, once considered a sacred space of pure entertainment, have not escaped this trend. Over the years, developers have struck deals that placed real-world products into virtual worlds—sometimes seamlessly, but often in ways that shatter immersion completely. From energy drinks in post-apocalyptic landscapes to luxury cars in cartoon racing circuits, the history of gaming is littered with bizarre product placements that make players cringe, laugh, or simply scratch their heads. This article revisits some of the strangest examples, ranked not by severity but by sheer oddity.
Fortnite: A Mashup of Everything
Epic’s battle royale powerhouse Fortnite has evolved from a free-to-play PUBG clone into a colossal advertising platform. It’s not just about selling V-Bucks anymore; the game has partnered with movies, musicians, car brands, and even petroleum companies. The most surreal sight is a squad riding a Tesla Cybertruck while shooting at Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil. Epic has often made sponsored items overpowered, which only intensifies the feeling that ads are not just cosmetic but a pay-to-win intrusion.
Mario Kart 8: Luxury Cars in the Mushroom Kingdom
The Wii U era brought many missteps for Nintendo, but one of the oddest was the Mercedes-Benz DLC for Mario Kart 8. Seeing Princess Peach behind the wheel of a GLA-class SUV, throwing banana peels at Donkey Kong, is a visual that simply refuses to compute. The absence of Formula 1 cars made the crossover even more puzzling. What could have been a sleek Silver Arrow speeding through Rainbow Road became instead a family SUV ad placed in a whimsical fantasy world.
Uncharted 3: Nathan Drake’s Subway Stint
Naughty Dog’s charismatic thief Nathan Drake has flexible morals, but fans didn’t expect him to promote a sandwich chain. In 2011, Uncharted 3 teamed up with Subway for a “Taste for Adventure” promotion. Multiplayer codes unlocked gun skins, a white T-shirt with “SUBWAY” emblazoned across the chest, and a taunt called “Subway 5 Dollar Footlong.” The in-your-face advertising clashed painfully with the game’s cinematic treasure-hunting vibe.
Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory – Airwaves Blimps and Axe Body Spray
Sam Fisher’s stealth opus from 2005 remains a genre pinnacle, but it harbors some truly out-of-place ads. Chewing gum brand Airwaves placed a giant blimp in multiple cutscenes, distracting players from tense assassination plots. Meanwhile, Axe deodorant and Nokia phones also made appearances, though slightly more subtle. The blimp, however, remains a masterclass in breaking immersion.
Death Stranding: Endless Monster Energy
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding is weird by design, so Monster Energy appearing everywhere almost makes sense—almost. Sam Bridges has an infinite supply of Monster cans in his private room, despite societal collapse. His canteen somehow converts sweat, timefall, and even urine into Monster. The Director’s Cut later replaced it with fictional Bridges Energy, but the original marketing deal left many worried about what exactly goes into those cans.
EA Sports FC 25: Beats in Career Mode
EA Sports FC 25 (formerly FIFA) sunk to a new low when it embedded unskippable Beats ads into single-player Career Mode. Newsreels feature Beats promotions, and pre-season tournaments include a “Beats Cup.” AI-generated commentary with awkward emoji strings makes the whole experience feel like a dystopian corporate fever dream rather than a sports simulation.
Alan Wake: Verizon and Energizer Interruptions
Remedy’s psychological thriller Alan Wake draws players into a dark mystery, but the spell is broken by blatant ads. Every time you change flashlight batteries, the screen fills with Energizer logos. Worst of all, a critical story moment forces you to watch a full Verizon commercial on an in-game TV. The contrast between narrative tension and commercial pitch is so jarring it borders on parody.
Final Fantasy XV: Cup Noodles Quest
Square Enix holds the crown for the most egregious product placement with Final Fantasy XV. Late in the game, party member Gladiolus passionately extols the virtues of Cup Noodles, launching a quest to craft the ultimate instant ramen. A branded truck appears in the middle of a city, and the whole ordeal treats cheap noodles with the reverence of a sacred relic. Players at least get a goofy hat for their trouble.
These examples prove that when ads invade gaming worlds, sometimes the result is hilarious, sometimes cringe-worthy, but always memorable. As the line between entertainment and advertising continues to blur, developers might want to think twice before turning their painstakingly crafted universes into virtual billboards.
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