The winner of today’s Forza Horizon 2 Mazda Miata challenge at E3 would receive a new Miata and the runner up would go home empty handed. But it looks like Mazda surprised them both when they revealed at the end of the competition they BOTH would be receiving the keys to brand new Miatas. Whoever said video games never paid off?

The Mazda Miata MX-5 challenge began long before E3 back in March of this year. Online users were required to download a specific Mazda Miata via Forza’s DLC and were instructed to race around a specific track, The Sisteron Perimeter Sprint Track (video of the track below.) The two online participants with the fastest times would be flown to Los Angeles to compete for a real 2016 Mazda Miata. Participants thought that they were only rewarding one, but Good Guy Mazda generously rewarded good competition regardless of the winner. According to the official press release,

David Goss of Missouri defeated Colton Miller of Indiana in the Mazda MX-5 Challenge, hosted by Mazda and Xbox, taking home an all-new roadster. While Goss defeated Miller in the competition, Mazda surprised Miller and presented both participants with a 2016 Mazda MX-5.



Whoever in Mazda’s marketing department came up with this idea to bring the Mazda Miata directly to gamers should be commended and given a raise. In an age where digital marketing no longer means buying television ads or even online banners on websites, companies oftentimes must come up with new and innovative ways to advertise to a generation who finally has a little more disposable income but no longer interacts with media the same way their parents did. Hats off to Mazda and congrats to the competitors.