Fanta and Xbox Recreate 25 Years of Gaming in Nostalgia Challenge Featuring McFly’s Dougie Poynter

Before wireless controllers, LED gaming set-ups and online streaming, gaming meant sitting inches from a chunky TV, surrounded by tangled controller wires, stacks of game discs and empty cans of Fanta®.
Now, to celebrate 25 years of Xbox gaming culture, Fanta® and Xbox have recreated the ultimate 00’s gaming bedroom to answer one important question: can old-school gamers compete again the modern gaming generation today?
As part of the wider “Wanta Fanta?” campaign, which encourages gamers to scan Fanta® cans, play games and win epic prizes. McFly star and self-confessed gamer Dougie Poynter stepped into the role of the ultimate OG gamer, taking on gen Z gaming creator Dominic Bland, AKA Logboi1 representing the modern era of gaming culture, in a nostalgia-fuelled gaming challenge across generations, playing Halo: Combat Evolved.
The pair faced off inside a custom split gaming space designed as a real-life “spot the difference” between gaming then and now. One side recreated the golden age of 00’s gaming culture, complete with slouched bean bags, wired Xbox controllers, retro posters, CDs, DVDs and Fanta® . The other reflected the sleek world of modern gaming, featuring LED lighting, wireless accessories, minimalist gaming rigs and limited-edition Fanta® Xbox cans inspired by iconic gaming franchises.
Dougie first took on the challenge using the classic 00’s gaming set-up, before Dominic attempted to dethrone the OG gamer using the modern-day gaming experience.
Speaking about the challenge, Dougie Poynter said: “Walking into the 00’s set-up honestly felt like stepping back to being 16 years old. The bean bags, the wires everywhere, the old Xbox games stacked beside the TV, it brought back so many memories. Gaming might look different now, but the competitiveness definitely hasn’t changed. I love how Fanta is honouring the OG gamers and showing that gaming really has no upper age limit.”
Dominic added: “I grew up with completely different gaming set-ups, so seeing how people used to play was wild. But once the challenge started, it didn’t matter what generation you were from, everyone still wants to win.”
The showdown forms part of Fanta®’s wider collaboration with Xbox celebrating Xbox’s 25th anniversary, which sees iconic gaming characters take over limited-edition Fanta® packs inspired by some of Xbox’s most legendary franchises, including Halo, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Diablo IV.
But the challenge doesn’t stop with Dougie and Dominic Fanta® is now encouraging fans across the UK to step into the Halo game themselves and “dethrone the OGs” by scanning QR codes on limited-edition Fanta® cans to unlock exclusive gaming challenges, digital activations and the chance to win prizes including Xbox Series S consoles, Xbox controllers and in-game rewards.
The campaign celebrates the lengths fans will go to get their favourite Fanta®, blending nostalgia, gaming culture and playful competition to inspire a new generation of players to prove just how far they’ll go to get their Fanta® back.
Marina Nastyushenko, Brand Manager, Fanta said: “Gaming has always been about the memories, the friendships and the moments shared over a game and a Fanta ®. With this campaign, we wanted to celebrate how gaming culture has evolved over the last 25 years while showing that the excitement and competitive spirit behind it hasn’t changed at all. Bringing together an OG gamer like Dougie with a new generation of players perfectly captures the fun, nostalgia and playful energy at the heart of the ‘Wanta Fanta?’ campaign.”