Here’s When Coca-Cola’s Pixel-Flavored Soda Will Hit (Virtual) Shelves
Take your tastebuds into the metaverse.
Get ready to taste the metaverse, well, sort of. For its second limited-edition flavor Creation, Coca-Cola is introducing Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte, which was inspired by the metaverse and is meant to taste like pixels — yes, pixels. The new innovation follows the Feb. 21 launch of Coca-Cola Starlight, the otherworldly berry-flavored Coke, and is a continuation of the brand’s limited-edition flavors. To get a real taste of virtual reality with the newest Creation, here’s what to know about Coca-Cola Byte’s release date and where you can buy the soda.
A nod to its gamer fans, Coca-Cola said in a press release on April 4 that it wanted to create “an innovative taste inspired by the playfulness of pixels, rooted in the experiences that gaming makes possible.” Apparently, Byte will remind you of “powering up a game.” Not sure what that indicates as far as tasting notes go, but it seems very meta.
The drink also comes with its own metaverse island, naturally. Coca-Cola partnered with gaming company PWR to design Pixel Point, an island in Fortnite Creative where gamers can try their hand at four different multiplayer mini-games — The Castle, The Escape, The Race, and The Tower. If you get your hands on a can of Byte, you can access a bonus AR game by scanning the can, so drink up some pixels and then land in the actual metaverse.
“Tasting” pixels might be new territory for the soda brand, but Coca-Cola is no stranger to the metaverse. In fact, the company launched four unique Coca-Cola NFTs (non-fungible tokens) on International Friendship Day on July 30, 2021. According to a press release, they saw it as an “opportunity to participate in and learn from this emerging space.” The proceeds from the NFT auction were donated to the Special Olympics International.
The latest post on the Creations hub teased a collaboration between Coca-Cola and EDM music DJ Marshmello. Until then, here’s when and where you can get a taste of the pixel-inspired sip inside the limited-edition cans.
Coke Byte Release Date
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte launched in limited quantities in retail stores in Latin America on April 4. However, fans in the United States will have to mark their calendars for May 2, when the drink will become available to purchase online. Coca-Cola lovers in China can expect a retail launch on May 23. The company currently has no plans to release the flavor in other markets.
Where To Buy Coke Byte
The exclusivity of the limited-edition launch means that less than 25,000 units of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte will be available for purchase online. For the U.S., that means the “portal” will be open on www.coca-cola.com/creations on May 2 while supply lasts. The new flavor only comes in two-packs of 12.5 oz. slim cans that will cost you roughly $15, not including shipping.
Coca-Cola first introduced the Creations platform to launch limited-edition products and experiences in physical and digital forms. After sending your taste buds to space and the metaverse, it’s anyone’s guess what’ll come next.
