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What Is The 'Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory?' The Viral Theory Linking Major Tragedies To New Mountain Dew Flavors Explained

A shocking conspiracy theory about Mountain Dew is going viral as the company rolls out its new permanent flavor Baja Midnight, and it's got some people freaking out.
The so-called "Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory" claims that the release of new Mountain Dew flavors always precedes a major tragedy, and the evidence might have you reaching for your tin foil hat.
So, what exactly is the Mountain Dew conspiracy theory, and where did it come from? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory?
The Mountain Dew conspiracy theory first made waves on social media in February 2025, when content creator Ro Fisher discussed it on an episode of his podcast.
In the episode, he links the release of new Mountain Dew flavors to several major tragedies. He even claims that the names of the flavors hint at the tragedies months before they happened.
He starts by claiming that Mountain Dew Code Red came out three months before the September 11th attacks, painting September 11th as the "ultimate code red."
But it doesn't end there. Ro claims that the Maui Burst flavor was released three months before wildfires in Maui broke out and that Star Spangled Splash was released before the Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed, notably because Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star Spangled Banner."
A clip of Ro explaining the theory went viral that month, beginning its spread online.
How Is The Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory Discussed Online?
The Mountain Dew conspiracy theory spread across social media throughout 2025, with many finding it bizarrely convincing. Since going viral in February, it's been discussed by many content creators and podcasters, including themakeshiftproject.
Most recently, it was picked apart by YouTubers The Food Theorists, who decided to look into the claims made in the theory. They found that, while the majority of the releases did strangely precede major tragedies, there's some debate to be had about certain flavors.
Most notably, they question the claim about the release of Star Spangled Splash and the Francis Key Bridge, as the flavor supposedly came out after the collapse.
What Are Some More Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory Reactions?
@filspixel In 2025 Mtn Dew released their newest flavour Baja Midnight and it mighta just predicted the biggest event of the year (so far) #interesting #conspiracy #theory ♬ original sound – Filip Zieba
@dormroomdinners Please don’t tell @Mountain Dew I just want to eat my chalupa in peace #mountaindew #soda #bajablast ♬ original sound – DormRoomDinners
For the full history of the Mountain Dew Conspiracy Theory, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.