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There have been numerous team-ups, guest spots, and other collaborations throughout gaming's history. Sometimes, a brand outside of video games will come in and do something that isn't totally out of place, like new skins in Fortnite with the brand's labeling or an advertisement on a billboard in a racing game. The collabs listed here do not fall into those categories.
These are 16 partnerships that came out of left field and surprised fans on both sides of the agreement. We do want to stress that we are not saying these ideas are bad--on the contrary, a lot of what's listed here ended up being successful--we're just focusing on moments that made us scratch our heads when they were first announced.
Slipknot in Smite
Smite is a multiplayer online battle arena game featuring gods and deities from cultures around the world. We didn't think gods of heavy metal were included in that consideration, but then Corey Taylor and his crew hopped into Smite for a spell in 2022.
Mercedes-Benz in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mercedes-branded cards being in a video game is not strange; games like Forza and Gran Turismo are prime examples. Mercedes in Mario Kart, however, seems very much out of place. A GLA-class SUV with Mario sticking out of it, while lining up next to a go-kart and a motorbike that looks like Yoshi, is just odd.
The Terminator in WWE 2K16
Now, we understand why this collaboration occurred: This was the first WWE 2K game after Wrestlemania 31, where Triple H used Terminator props and a cameo from Arnold Schwarzenegger himself in his entrance. However, seeing the actual Terminator getting in the ring with the likes of The Undertaker and John Cena was goofy fun.
The Terminator in Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
Sticking with the Terminator franchise, Skynet's robotic slayer also made a limited-time appearance in Ubisoft's open-world shooter; however, the implementation here was far more authentic. Once you initiated the event and the Terminator entered Auroa, it would hunt you down mercilessly no matter where you were. Of all the Terminator collabs in recent gaming history, this was one of the best, though it does stand out as unusual for blending sci-fi with the reality-based Tom Clancy franchise.
Metal Gear and Ape Escape
In a perfect example of "weird" not meaning "bad," both of the Ape Escape/Metal Gear minigames are silly PS2-era fun. While Snake vs. Monkey in Metal Gear Solid 3 is great, we're partial to Mesal Gear Solid: Snake Escape in Ape Escape 3, which was essentially an extra chapter of MGS, albeit with a bearded monkey as the hero.
Cup Noodles in Final Fantasy XV
It's one thing to be able to cook a batch of Cup Noodles in Final Fantasy XV's cooking minigame. That hat and dancing silverware pictured is another thing entirely. What exactly is going on here, and why is it so entrancing?
Final Fantasy XV in Assassin's Creed Origins
Look, we have no problems with two established gaming franchises coming together in any capacity. However, it's hard to forgive the nightmare fuel that is Kweh, the chocobo/camel hybrid mount that Basim can ride around Egypt. It has a beak and hooves, which is completely unsettling.
Ariana Grande in Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Celebrities making cameo appearances in video games is nothing new as the next few slides demonstrate, but a pop megastar like Ariana Grande making an appearance in a Final Fantasy game--a mobile FF game, no less--made some waves.
Justin Bieber in Garena Free Fire
Meanwhile, over in Free Fire, Garena celebrated the fifth anniversary of the game's launch by signing a pop megastar of its own to cameo as a playable character. While he's been removed since the event, his unique ability remains if you want to experience the power of J. Biebs for a bit.
Kevin Durant in Call Of Duty: Warzone
We're using Kevin Durant as the example here, but this entry extends to any real-world celebrity appearing in a "realistic" shooter game like Call Of Duty--Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, etc. Shooting and killing people who actually exist in the real world in games like this will always be weird, or at the very least unnerving.
Evangelion in PUBG Mobile
Unlike its console and PC counterparts, PUBG Mobile has offered some unique and bizarre partnerships. Watching Godzilla and King Kong fight in Erangel was cool, for example, but this one, which saw the EVA Unit-01 rise above the horizon, was particularly strange.
El Chapulin Colorado in Fortnite
El Chapulin Colorado was the titular star of a 1970s Mexican comedy series which parodied the superhero genre and followed "The Red Grasshopper" as he bumbled his way into fighting crime. To one region of the globe, this beloved character appearing in Fortnite was cause for celebration. For the rest of the world, it was a head-scratcher simply due to unintended ignorance. Hopefully, this was the start of a whole new generation of Chapulin fans.
Negan in Tekken 7
Fighting games are certainly no stranger to off-beat guest characters, and even Tekken 7 had already set a high bar for weirdness with Final Fantasy XV's Noctis. However, when Negan from The Walking Dead--a franchise that until then had nothing to do with any fighting game, let alone Tekken before this--was announced for T7 at EVO 2018, the crowd erupted in a mixture of excitement and sheer confusion.
Pikmin 2's weird brands
The original release of Pikmin 2 on the GameCube saw the cute little plant people picking up items based on real-world products, and it was weird. Brands like Duracell, Vlasic pickles, Skippy peanut butter, Yoo-Hoo chocolate drink, and even Chap-Stick are some examples of what Olimar made his little pals gather up.
Monster Energy Drink in Death Stranding
Norman Reedus is only human; sometimes, the man gets thirsty and needs a drink. However, seeing Monster Energy, of all things, surviving the apocalyptic events of the game's world was strange... though admittedly we did miss the cans when the Director's Cut replaced them with an original in-universe brand.
Shrek in Tony Hawk's Underground 2
We could have chosen any number of strange skateboarders from the Tony Hawk franchise--Solid Snake, Spider-Man, and Wolverine come to mind. However, whenever we think back to the weird parts of Tony Hawk, Shrek shredding the rails in Underground 2 is always the first thought.
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