McDonald's UK Teams With Xbox for In-Game Rewards Tied to 25th Anniversary

Six Franchises, One Drive-Thru

McDonald’s UK and Ireland has announced a partnership with Xbox to celebrate the console brand’s 25th anniversary, offering in-game rewards tied to six of Xbox’s most recognizable franchises. The promotion, called Side Missions, covers Halo: Campaign Evolved, Forza Horizon 6, Fallout 76, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, according to a report from IGN.

The rewards themselves lean into the food and flavor themes of each respective game, which is a more charming angle than a generic logo slap on a burger box. Fallout 76 players can pick up a Sugar Bomb Bundle, a nod to the irradiated junk food scattered across the wasteland. World of Warcraft gets perhaps the most delightful item of the bunch: something called the Red Hot Portable Bakery, which is apparently a fan-favorite in-game food that WoW players will recognize immediately. Overwatch fans receive the Kiriko Donut Break Emote, which writes itself.

The full list of rewards, as reported by IGN, breaks down like this:

• Halo: Campaign Evolved - Master Chief Armour
• Forza Horizon 6 - Car Voucher
• Fallout 76 - Sugar Bomb Bundle
• Candy Crush Saga - Booster Bundle
• World of Warcraft - Red Hot Portable Bakery
• Overwatch - Kiriko Donut Break Emote

Customers in the UK and Ireland can track the promotion through the McDonald’s app, which will also feature daily deals.

The Marketing Team Has Opinions

Tim Kenward, SVP and chief marketing officer for McDonald’s UK and Ireland, spoke to the thinking behind the collaboration. “Gaming is all about imagination and the worlds we love to get lost in,” Kenward said, as quoted by IGN. “What excites me about this partnership is that we’re bringing parts of these iconic gaming worlds to life, giving fans the chance to experience food they have only ever seen on screen.”

Kenward also volunteered that he is personally a Fallout fan and singled out the Blamco Cheesy Potato Bites as the item he is most excited about. It is genuinely refreshing when a CMO admits to having a horse in the race.

The promotion ties into broader Xbox anniversary activity happening around the brand’s 25-year milestone. Spanning six franchises across wildly different genres and player bases, from competitive shooters to a mobile puzzle game, the partnership casts a wide net. Candy Crush Saga sitting alongside World of Warcraft and Halo in the same promotional flyer is a reminder of just how expansive Microsoft’s gaming portfolio has become since it acquired Activision Blizzard King.

Halo: Campaign Evolved in the Mix

The timing also lines up with the recent release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, the new Halo Studios title that launched July 28, 2026. IGN reviewed the game and scored it a 7 out of 10, writing that it “speaks to the series’ timelessness and adds a decent set of new missions, but it’s mostly a lean retread that’s more of a test run for its future with Unreal Engine.” The Master Chief Armour reward offered through the McDonald’s promotion gives the game some additional promotional runway as it settles into its post-launch period.

Forza Horizon 6 is similarly represented with a Car Voucher reward, a sensible tie-in for a franchise built entirely around acquiring and customizing vehicles.

For UK and Ireland players interested in any of these rewards, the McDonald’s app is the place to watch. The exact unlock mechanism and promotion dates were not specified in IGN’s report, so checking the app directly will be the most reliable way to catch each reward before the Side Missions promotion wraps up.