Let's cut through the marketing bullshit and talk about what really went down in the Mountain Dew labs this year. 2024 was the year they threw caution to the wind, grabbed a handful of flavor extracts, and asked themselves: "What if we just went completely unhinged?"

I've sacrificed my pancreas to bring you this definitive ranking. Nine flavors that range from "surprisingly decent" to "what were they smoking in the boardroom?" Each one tells a story about corporate America's relationship with both patriotism and our collective sugar addiction.

Here's every new Mountain Dew flavor from 2024, ranked from the bottom of the barrel to surprisingly not terrible.

About Baja Blast

Look, Baja Blast finally went permanent this year after two decades of Taco Bell exclusivity. That's worth acknowledging, even if it feels weird calling it "new." This tropical masterpiece has been the holy grail of Mountain Dew flavors since 2004, and now you can finally stockpile it without making suspicious trips to Taco Bell.

The fact that it took 20 years for them to realize people wanted to buy this anywhere other than with a Crunchwrap Supreme is both brilliant and completely insane. Better late than never, I suppose.

9. VooDEW 6.0

The annual mystery flavor circus rolled into town again, and honestly? I'm tired of playing guessing games with my beverages. VooDEW 6.0 turned out to be strawberry, which sounds innocent enough until you realize it tastes like someone dissolved a bag of gas station gummy bears in battery acid.

The whole "mystery flavor" gimmick feels played out at this point. We get it—you want us to post on TikTok trying to figure out what artificial fruit explosion you've unleashed this time. But when the reveal is just strawberry that tastes like it was filtered through a candy factory's rejected batch pile, maybe it's time to retire the concept.

The packaging is admittedly solid. That spooky aesthetic still hits, even if what's inside tastes like Halloween disappointment in liquid form. But aesthetics don't save you when your flavor profile makes people question their life choices.

8. Infinite Swirl

7-Eleven exclusive flavors always feel like corporate desperation wrapped in convenience store marketing. Infinite Swirl promised pineapple berry magic and delivered confused fruit medley instead. The pineapple shows up late to the party, and the berry tastes like it's been sitting in the back of a truck for three months.

This purple nightmare looks better than it tastes, which pretty much sums up most things you'll find in a gas station cooler. It's the kind of flavor that makes you appreciate how difficult it actually is to balance fruit combinations without everything tasting like synthetic chaos.

You'll drink it if it's cold and you need caffeine, but you won't remember it fondly. It's forgettable in the worst possible way—not bad enough to be memorably terrible, not good enough to warrant a second purchase.

7. Freedom Fusion

Ah, the patriotic trilogy. Nothing says "America" like peach-lemonade soda that makes your face scrunch up in confused disappointment. Freedom Fusion sounds like it should taste like summer barbecues and apple pie. Instead, it tastes like someone put too much lemon in their peach tea and decided to carbonate the mistake.

The lemonade completely bulldozes whatever peach flavor might have existed. It's aggressively tart in a way that feels less "refreshing" and more "punishment for something you don't remember doing." The peach is there theoretically, hiding behind a wall of citric acid and artificial tartness.

This works better as a Slurpee, where the ice dilutes the aggressive sourness into something approaching drinkable. But as a standalone soda? It's like drinking patriotism filtered through a sour candy factory.

6. Liberty Chill

The blue one. The "50 flavors in one" lie that nobody believed for even a second. Liberty Chill tastes like blue raspberry gummy bears had a midlife crisis and decided to become a beverage. This flavor doesn't pretend to be sophisticated. It knows exactly what it is—sugar and chemicals dressed up in red, white, and blue packaging. Sometimes that kind of self-awareness is refreshing. You're not drinking this for subtle flavor notes or artisanal craftsmanship. You're drinking it because it's blue and caffeinated.

The sweetness hits hard and fast, then lingers around your mouth like it's planning to set up camp. It's the kind of flavor that makes you question your taste in beverages while simultaneously reaching for another sip.

5. Baja Point Break Punch

Classic fruit punch energy meets the Baja Blast treatment. The raspberry and pineapple combination actually works here, creating something that tastes like quality fruit punch decided to get caffeinated and join the party. It's competently executed without being particularly exciting.

This is the safe choice of the 2024 lineup. You could serve this at a backyard barbecue and people would drink it without much commentary. It's pleasant enough to finish but not interesting enough to seek out specifically. The fruit flavors are balanced and don't fight each other for dominance.

The problem is that "fine" doesn't cut it in the Mountain Dew universe. This is a brand built on taking risks and creating flavors that make people either love them or wonder what the hell they just consumed. Point Break Punch plays it too safe for its own good.

4. Baja Laguna Lemonade

Mango lovers, this is your moment. Everyone else, prepare for tropical fruit assault. Laguna Lemonade is almost entirely mango-forward, with the lemonade playing backup vocals to the main tropical fruit symphony. The mango flavor is surprisingly authentic—it doesn't taste like mango candy or artificial mango essence.

If you're into mango, this might crack your top three. If you're not, you'll spend the entire can wondering why they called it "lemonade" when it's clearly mango soda with commitment issues. The balance between sweet and tart works well when it shows up, but the mango dominates everything else.

This is summer in a can, assuming your ideal summer involves consuming large quantities of mango-flavored caffeine while questioning the naming conventions of major beverage corporations.

3. Star Spangled Splash

The fact that they cancelled this for 2025 proves that good things don't last and corporate decision-makers hate joy. Star Spangled Splash nailed the strawberry-raspberry combination in a way that actually makes sense. The strawberry doesn't taste like artificial candy, and the raspberry adds just enough tartness to keep things interesting.

This is what happens when Mountain Dew's flavor scientists actually taste their creations before approving them. It's balanced, refreshing, and complex enough to keep you interested through an entire can. The berry flavors complement each other instead of fighting for dominance.

The limited availability makes it feel precious now, but even if it were permanent, this would still rank highly. It's the rare Mountain Dew flavor that manages to be both bold and drinkable without sacrificing either quality for the sake of the other.

2. Game Fuel Citrus Cherry

Finally, we're getting into serious territory. Citrus Cherry is what happens when Mountain Dew remembers they know how to make good flavors when they actually try. The cherry is bold without tasting medicinal, and the citrus adds brightness that prevents the whole thing from becoming too heavy or cloying.

This has staying power. You can drink multiple cans without getting flavor fatigue, which is surprisingly rare in the Mountain Dew lineup. It's complex enough to be interesting but familiar enough that you don't need to explain it to people. The gaming tie-in feels natural here, unlike some of the more forced collaborations.

The cherry-citrus combination has been done before, but rarely this well in a mass-market soda. It tastes like they actually spent time perfecting the balance instead of just throwing flavors together and hoping for the best.

1. Game Fuel Citrus Blackberry

Here's where things get interesting. Despite the name confusion—it's really more raspberry-blackberry than pure blackberry—Citrus Blackberry delivers complexity that most of this year's lineup lacks. The berry combination creates depth without becoming muddy, and the citrus element ties everything together without overwhelming the fruit.

What makes this work is the restraint. They could have gone overboard with artificial flavoring or added unnecessary complexity, but instead they focused on getting the basics right. The result is a flavor that's both familiar and surprising, bold enough to stand out but balanced enough to keep you coming back.

This is what Game Fuel should always be—fuel for late-night gaming sessions that actually tastes like something you'd choose to drink, not just tolerate for the caffeine content. It's proof that Mountain Dew can still create genuinely good flavors when they resist the urge to get too weird with it.