The ROG Xbox Ally takes the field at the first ever Xbox Bowl college football game

I’m not sure I ever expected to see Master Chief perform the coin toss of a college bowl game, nor watch Peely the Fortnite Banana conduct a marching band. But that’s just a small portion of what I got to witness at the first-ever Xbox Bowl. Held in the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, this year's matchup brought together the spirit of gaming and live football in one massive event, with the ROG Xbox Ally joining the two teams in the spotlight.

The revelry actually started hours before the game, at the official Fan Fest event outside the stadium. The turf in front of the Ford Center was filled with games, photo ops, and Xbox characters roaming the grounds, from Vault Boy to a decked-out Night Elf and of course, the Chief himself. Hundreds of fans gathered to compete in the Quarterback Challenge (can you throw a ball directly through the center of a giant ROG Xbox Ally?), jam to a pre-game performance by DJ Kenny Beats, and try out the latest games on the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 was particularly popular, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t sneak in a round myself.)

The football game itself pitted the Missouri State Bears against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, who were appearing in their third straight bowl game. Tension was palpable from the moment Master Chief flipped the coin, and while Arkansas took a strong lead out of the gate, Missouri State made a heck of a comeback in the second half — though not quite enough to overcome their adversaries, finishing with final score of 34-28.

*ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED* 👏

Xbox Bowl MVPs:
Offense: Corey Rucker
Defense: Kyle Taylor pic.twitter.com/IDBI0O1q4i

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 19, 2025

As the Red Wolves celebrated, Master Chief himself rode out onto the field on a Warthog — yes, a real-life UNSC Warthog  — with a trophy for the winning team. But not just any trophy: the world’s first-ever playable football trophy, featuring a fully-functional ROG Xbox Ally X mounted to the front. Sure, it’s not exactly backpackable in this state, but that’s okay, because every player on both teams received their own ROG Xbox Ally to take on the road with them. The MVPs also featured 100-point “Achievement Unlocked” awards that my Gamerscore will forever be jealous of.

Thanks to Xbox for inviting ROG to join in on the festivities, and if you haven’t picked up your ROG Xbox Ally yet, it’s $100 off right now — so grab it on the ASUS Store or your favorite participating retailer.