EA clearly hasn't given up on Titanfall 2, even though the first game in the series wasn't the runaway success that the publisher was hoping for. The mech-based FPS franchise was intended to compete with genre heavyweights like Call of Duty — and it seems that marketing efforts for the sequel are set to reflect that.

Titanfall 2 has replaced the Call of Duty franchise as the poster title for Mountain Dew's 2016 Game Fuel campaign. The beverage brand regularly teams up with video game properties — online multiplayer and high-sugar drinks are really a match made in heaven.

Like previous iterations of the campaign, Titanfall 2 players will be able to redeem codes found on promotional bottles for in-game rewards. Leaked photographs suggest that XP boosts and Titan rewards are among the benefits on offer, although it's not completely clear what the latter "rewards" refer to.

However, it seems that these codes relate directly to multiplayer, reinforcing the fact that competitive play is still at the core of this franchise. Fans complained about the lack of a campaign in the game's predecessor, which has prompted the addition of single-player content for the sequel.

Titanfall 2 is perhaps the last chance for the fledgling FPS franchise to find its feet and a larger audience. While the first game performed very well for a new IP, the fact that it was a console exclusive for the Xbox One hurt its chances of being the next big thing.

Of course, Titanfall 2 will flip the script in that respect, with a simultaneous release across the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. Combined with the fact that next generation consoles have much larger install bases than the Xbox One did when the original Titanfall launched, the sequel looks set for success.

The mech featured on the Mountain Dew packaging for the promotion looks very similar to the one unveiled via leaked marketing materials earlier this week. It seems like that this robot will adorn the game's packaging, and be used liberally throughout efforts to advertise the sequel.

It remains to be seen whether Titanfall 2 can deliver on its enormous potential, but the fact that EA is throwing is weight behind promotional efforts is promising. There's plenty of space for a new FPS franchise to rise to the top of the genre, but this is a very competitive sector of the video game marketplace.

Titanfall 2 in expected to hit PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in late 2016.

Source: Mountain Dew Game Fuel — Facebook (via Games Intel)