From gameplay to reality: Cambridge's Hacksmith brings Fortnite's Fizzooka to life
The gaming rocket launcher is based off the Mentos and Cola experiment
Media | How the Hacksmith team in Cambridge built Fortnite's Fizzooka
Caption: For two weeks only, Fortnite players are able to use the new Mentos Fizzooka rocket launcher. While users enjoy destroying player builds virtually with the limited-time weapon, the team at Hacksmith Industries were tasked with creating a real one. The Hacksmith, well known on YouTube, specializes in making functional prototypes based on comics, video games and other pop culture icons. CBC K-W's Karis Mapp stopped by their Cambridge headquarters to learn more about the real life Fizzooka.
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In a limited-time collaboration with Mentos, Fortnite players are able to use the Fizzooka in the game, which draws inspiration from the experiment of dropping the minty candy into Coca-Cola.
This marks the first time the popular combination has appeared on a gaming platform. The Fizooka has the ability to wipe out player builds with a single shot or blast opponents across the map.
While gamers around the world are enjoying the custom rocket launcher, a group of Cambridge-based engineers have turned the Fizzooka into a reality.
The Hacksmith, famously known for transforming fictional ideas from comics, movies and video games into working prototypes on their YouTube series Make it Real, was approached to make a version of the fizzy bazooka.
The real life Mentos Fizzooka is over a metre long and "can shoot a soda geyser with the force of a firehose," reads a media release from Mentos.
Ian Hillier, chief operating officer of Hacksmith Industries, said they wanted to make sure the Fizzooka they created was more than just for show.
"Here at Hacksmith, we like to turn things up to 11 and cola and Mentos, while it is quite reactive, it wasn't as reactive as we wanted it to be for our version because we wanted to be able to knock things over and have quite the violent launch," Hillier said.
"So we put the Mentos in and let that react, but then we also added 1,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) of nitrogen behind it."
In the short video posted to their YouTube account, Hillier can be seen being knocked over from the recoil of the weapon.
"It ended up being quite heavy, which then made it quite difficult to wield because you're holding this 50-pound bazooka on your shoulder and trying to aim it and pull the trigger and not get knocked over," he said.
Since being posted on March 25, more than 100 thousand people have watched the video. That's not uncommon for the account, has over 15 million subscribers, making it one of the largest Canadian YouTube channels.
In the past, the Hacksmith has tackled creations as big as light sabers, Ironman technology and Thor's hammer.
Ali-A, a popular U.K.-based gaming streamer said the Fizzooka is one of the most unique weapons he's ever used on the platform.
"There's never been a more effective anti-building weapon in Fortnite," he said while trying it for the first time on a live stream.
Mentos senior global brand communications and activation manager Hugues Leydier said in a media release that the company is happy to be "shaking up the world of gaming" with the Fizzooka.
Up next, the team is recreating the iconic power armour suit from the Fallout franchise.
"We've got four videos out right now. We've got two more coming out soon and probably more after that but we're making a real, bulletproof-powered armour with all the tech built in," Hillier said.
As for the virtual Fizzooka, Fortnite players have until Monday, April 6 to give it a try.
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