Kitchener, Ont. engineers partner with Mentos to create soda-powered rocket launcher

What’s a Fizzooka? CTV’s Hannah Schmidt stopped by Hacksmith Industries to find out.

A group of engineers in Kitchener, Ont., known for building extravagant and functional props, have taken on a new challenge: the Mentos Fizzooka.

The Fizzooka is an explosive launcher inspired by the famously fizzy reaction between Mentos and Coca Cola. The idea was born from a marketing partnership between Mentos and Fortnite Creative. Players of the popular game Fortnite will be able to access the weapon in-game on various Creative maps. The Creative mode allows players to design games within Fortnite that can be shared online.

However, once the in-game machine was created, the companies wanted to take it to the next level.

“They came to us because we’re the experts at making things real,” said Ian Hillier, co-founder of Hacksmith Entertainment Ltd.

Like the science experiment, the real-life rocket launcher is powered by the force created when the chewy candies are mixed with cola. For an extra push, the team attached a nitrogen cylinder with a high-pressure valve, mimicking the force of a firehose.

“It’s quite powerful,” Hillier said. “A little scary to use, actually.”

Hacksmith Industries is no stranger to pop culture props and prototypes. Founded by Conestoga College graduate and engineer James Hobson, the team has also built Batman’s Batcave, as well as lightsabers from Star Wars.

Hobson publishes his work on YouTube, drawing in more than 15 million subscribers and racking up millions of views.

“What we realized as we did it more and more was it was actually a very inspiring thing to do for students interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math),” Hobson said. “Because we’re connecting pop culture with engineering.”

The Hacksmith is also creating connection in the global gaming community, particularly with the team’s latest launch.

“It’s really fun when you can do a project that everyone’s familiar with,” Hobson said.

“I don’t know who else they would have hired to be able to make something like this,” he continued. “Because we’ve got a unique set of skills here that allow us to make some really incredible technology.”