By Rick Hynum
Domino’s is giving away 20,000 copies of a popular new video game, but it’s not just trying to make friends with Minecraft fans. There’s a bigger play behind the giveaway.
Gaming with friends is a major pizza occasion, and Domino’s thinks its new individual size specialty pizza, the Domino, is the right fit. So the brand is launching a collaboration with Minecraft Dungeons II, the new action-adventure game set in the Minecraft universe.
This isn’t Domino’s first foray into gaming—the brand helped launch Twitch’s Fortnite-focused network in 2024 and even brought back its infamous Noid character to promote an autonomous delivery partnership with robotics company Nuro back in 2021.
But lest you think the Minecraft Dungeons II collab is just another flashy promo, consider this: According to a 2026 report from the Entertainment Software Association, 212.3 million Americans—about 67% of the population between the ages of 5 and 90—play video games at least once a week.
No wonder Domino’s has latched on to the gaming industry. That’s a huge population of potential pizza buyers. And the Minecraft promo is clearly designed to encourage repeat business and loyalty program signups.
Starting on October 26, customers can unlock exclusive game-night experiences when they purchase a Domino, the chain’s new made-for-one pizza. Domino’s is rolling out six collectible Minecraft Dungeons II-themed pizza boxes, each featuring a different character like Corrupted Creeper, Prime Enchanter, Valorie and others.
Additionally, Domino’s Rewards members can unlock one of three exclusive, randomly awarded in-game items to use in the game: the wardrobe-related Domino’s Skin, the Domino’s Slice Slayer Cape and the Domino’s Cheesy Cube Pet.
Finally, Domino’s will give away 2,000 Minecraft Dungeons II game tokens every day between October 26 and November 4. Customers can use the tokens to download the base game for free (a $29.99 value). But first, they have to order a Domino pie and submit proof of purchase at a designated website.
Now let’s look at how all those different pieces fit together to sell more pizza.
- The six collectible pizza boxes and the three randomly awarded in-game items incentivize gamers to make repeat purchases of the Domino.
- Exclusive rewards for Domino’s loyalty program encourage Domino’s Rewards signups and online orders, a high priority for the chain.
- And, of course, the 20,000 free game downloads build buzz and excitement in the huge gaming community.
In other words, Domino’s has created a series of incentives for customers to buy the Domino multiple times.
Worth noting: Slice, the tech platform for independent pizzeria operators, launched its own gaming rewards initiative with video game publisher Ubisoft for its Far Cry 6 release in September 2021. Customers who ordered from participating indie shops through Slice received special in-game rewards during that promotion.
Independent operators can make their own inroads with gamers at the local level. For example, a neighborhood pizzeria could partner with a local game store or comics store, develop a game-night bundle or offer rewards for customers who place repeat orders on gaming nights. Use your employees—especially passionate gamers—to promote these offerings in social media posts such as Instagram Reels.
Rick Hynum is PMQ’s editor in chief.
