Dogs can’t play video games — or at least, lacking thumbs, they can’t play video games very well. But dogs can be dressed up to look like your favorite video game characters. It’s now the start of the lunar Year of the Dog, and to celebrate, Xbox has dressed up some very good pups in outfits inspired by its biggest games.
Dubbed “Xbox CosPups,” the assembled team of furry friends is composed of all types of dogs with appropriately silly names. The first, and arguably the leader of the bunch, is “Master Chihuahua,” a Halo-themed dog who wears pieces of a Spartan’s armor. The helmet, however, is far too big for the poor pup, so it just rests at the side.
“Mutt-cus Fenix,” is a little more formidable, with a COG chest-piece and a tough-looking band around his head. If we were the Swarm (or a box of treats), we would watch out for this tough customer. “Fur-za” is a hound dressed up as a professional driver and not, as we hoped, a dog dressed as a car. We aren’t sure we’d let this fellow get behind the wheel, but the outfit is pretty persuasive.
“Sea of Fleas,” is a Sea of Thieves-themed dog ready to plunder the seven seas, complete with a pirate hat and eye patch. Our favorite, however, based on name alone, has to be “PUG-G.” A pug dressed with an assortment of clothing available in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, we can only hope the little guy is able to win the match and get his chicken dinner. Without a weapon, however, he might just have to cuddle his opponents into submission.
Microsoft isn’t the only company getting in on the dog celebration lately. On February 19, Blizzard hosted the “Overwatch Year of the Dog Puppy Rumble,” a capture-the-flag event featuring puppies dressed up as Overwatch characters. All the participants were available for adoption, and the event even led to some rivalries being formed. One dog was even the subject of controversy, with viewers believing she had to be “nerfed” in order to make the competition more fair. Whether it’s humans or dogs, some things won’t ever change in Overwatch.