Gamers are so adept at capitalizing on the most minuscule opportunities and discovering the most obscure advantages, we might as well be a different breed of human.
Our gaming setups need to be faster, sleeker, more reliable, and brighter (RGB lights massively improve gaming performance, after all). We've even sought the greatest nutrition for a true gamer, such as Mt. Dew and Doritos.
Gamers have tapped into the beating veins of the universe and unlocked secrets buried so deep in the cosmos that all the normies couldn't even conceive of them. That's where Razer is coming in with its expanding RESPAWN brand of gamer snacks, and I was sent a box to try them for myself.
You won't see it on the news anywhere (we kept it hush-hush), but just a single mint and a lick of this lamp (it was in the box, it must be a snack) empowered me to win a $1,000,000,000 Candy Crush gaming tournament. It's true, Keanu Reeves was there.
What is RESPAWN by Razer?
If you were loudly thinking to yourself, "Gee, gamer snacks sound like a goofy April Fool's Day joke," you'd be partially correct — Razer's RESPAWN experiment did start as a joke 15 years ago, but eventually became an actual product in the form of drink mixes in 2019.
Fast forward even more time (gods, this is making me feel old), and Razer's years-long tease has matured into a full-blown partnership with snacking leader Mars. This is a new, fully public beginning for snacks made with gaming in mind, and it'll only get bigger from here.
RESPAWN by Razer, at least in this latest iteration, is comprised of three chewing gum and three mint flavors, and is expected to expand into more realms of taste and food categories to stimulate your gamer tongue (gross).
Lo and behold, a box appeared on my doorstep, packed to the brim with... Mostly empty space. At the top, though, Razer kindly encased one of each of its RESPAWN products for me. And a lamp. So, I tasted them all.
Unboxing the snacks made by that one gaming company
Fret not, dear reader, for you will not receive this giant ass box if you order a pack of RESPAWN gum from Razer. I received this box because Razer, as an entity, firmly believes I don't need free space in my apartment; therefore, it must all be filled with boxes (that's a hint that there's a lot more to come from Razer in the near future).
Returning to the monstrosity of cardboard, sugar, and lamp (?), unboxing Razer's gift felt every bit like the announcement of a new era that it is. "RESPAWN" isn't an April Fool's Day joke or even a passing fad to hand out to the press in the form of gum.
This is a brand, and it's here to stay.
Seriously, though, this box is too big. I feel like I've personally murdered a few penguins accepting this delivery. There are literally three boxes of mints and three packages of gum in here.
Gums and mints to rejuvenate or relax, I guess
RESPAWN by Razer products come in — at least for now — two categories: Recharge and Reset. In both cases, Razer claims to be using natural vitamins, minerals, and other products such as green tea extract and L-Theanine (which literally everyone has heard of, so you're the only odd duck here) to enhance performance and health without relying on artificial supplements.
I surely know everything about everything, but I won't bore you with in-depth breakdowns of all the science that goes into this (please don't ask me). What I can tell you with confidence... Wait, I'm confident about all of this. Sorry, I forgot. Let me start over.
What I can tell you without breaking my solemn vow of non-interference is that RESPAWN products are at best subtle in their effects.
Thanks to my escapades during CES 2025, I had already tried Razer's Cool Mint, Tropical Punch, and Pomegranate Watermelon gum. I won't force you to read a novel here: this is basically 5 Gum, in that it's great chewing gum that loses its flavor a little too quickly for my liking (which, to be fair, is most gum).
Finally, we're on to the new, the exciting, the revolutionary — these are mints. You suck on them, they taste alright sometimes, they make your breath tolerable to those around you (I'm specifically looking at those of you who do not brush their teeth regularly).
These RESPAWN mints are more recent releases, though, so I'll at least tell you my thoughts on the three flavors — Mango Habanero Fire, Watermelon Guava, and Blackberry Vanilla.
- Mango Habanero Fire — As the name suggests, this is a mint with a spicy kick. Overall, it was my least favorite of the three, but it certainly gave me a punch to the teeth that shook the last of my sleepiness off. The coolness of a mint, but with the heat of a pepper.
- Watermelon Guava — If you've had fruity Icebreakers, you're more or less familiar with this flavor. The sour edge of "fruit" combined with the refreshing tint of mint makes this a familiar and pleasant flavor, but not one that's really unique.
- Blackberry Vanilla — The most gentle of the three flavors ended up being my favorite. This mint is smooth, with a shadow of fruitiness and a hint of coolness that does, oddly, make it feel relaxing, which was Razer's intent.
To recap, I can't attest to the effectiveness of the ingredients Razer and Mars Wrigley selected, but I can tell you that the "Recharge" flavors are intense enough to discharge at least a fraction of your exhaustion, and the one "Reset" mint variety was an effective palette cleanser to end my work day.
Did these gamer snacks make me more effective while gaming? Erm... Yes? (Razer, please address my comically sized check to *redacted*). In all seriousness, there's no magical formula that'll instantly improve your gaming performance or miraculously temper all those tense gamer muscles we all know you have, but I also don't think there's any harm in enjoying what Razer and Mars have created under the RESPAWN umbrella.
The obvious main course: an RGB lamp
Ugh, this lamp tastes like plastic.
I should've expected as much, but I'm a person of integrity. Razer told me it was sending me a box of RESPAWN snacks, so I expected a box of RESPAWN snacks. Clearly, this lamp was a part of that.
Instead of an energizing or soothing flavor, though, this odd cylinder possesses the flavor and texture of smooth, glossy plastic. Wait... Don't I already have something like this?
Jokes aside, I did review the Razer Gamer Room, including the Razer Aether Lamp Pro, the more advanced version of the circular light included in this RESPAWN box. Genuinely, and months later (with all the micro-frustrations that come with long-term use of any tech product), Razer's smart light ecosystem is still one of my all-time favorites.
The basic Aether Lamp may not be edible, but it's still a solid product for those who want to add a little extra flair to their office or den. Just don't expect it to taste good, because it doesn't.
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