Every so often, a major gaming brand steps away from patch notes and hardware news to flirt with the chaotic energy of pop culture. That is exactly what the official Xbox account did when the 2022 Met Gala rolled around, turning the red carpet into a playful battlefield of video game references. Celebrities wore some truly breathtaking attire that evening, but Xbox saw something a little different: boss phases, overencumbered heroes, and Mimic Tears. Honestly, the drip was absolutely on another level.

The annual fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute has always been a reliable source of memes. In previous years, comparisons ranged from Kim Kardashian to The Sims’ Death, and the 2022 event was no different. With its "Gilded Glamour" theme, the red carpet turned into a living museum of extravagant silhouettes, dramatic reveals, and accessories that seemed to have wandered in from a fantasy RPG.

The Red Carpet Becomes a Boss Arena

Each look seemed to carry its own hidden game mechanic. Actress Blake Lively arrived in a copper-colored gown that unfurled to reveal a long green train, mirroring the Statue of Liberty in a moment of theatrical transformation. Xbox compared the reveal to a boss entering its second phase, the kind of moment any Elden Ring player recognizes with equal parts awe and dread. One minute it is a refined red carpet appearance; the next, a health bar refills and the music shifts.

Film executive Franklin Leonard wore a bustle jacket with a very large structured waist, and Xbox suggested he looked overencumbered—a nod to classic RPGs like Skyrim, where carrying too much loot slows a hero to a miserable shuffle. Let’s be real, nobody wants to slow-walk through a gala when a storage chest or fast travel point might be just around the corner. 🎒

Model Gigi Hadid glided down the carpet in a large flowing coat-dress combo, and the gaming brand compared her to a sorceress ready to cast a high-level spell. Meanwhile, actor Jared Leto and fashion designer Alessandro Michele arrived looking nearly identical, almost like a fashionably coordinated duo from a co-op session. Xbox drew a straight line to the Mimic Tear from Elden Ring, a notorious enemy that copies the player’s appearance and tactics.

Musician Teyana Taylor and model Winnie Harlow completed the meme-worthy lineup with headpieces that looked otherworldly enough to belong in Destiny 2. Xbox placed them among the Guardians, likely because their accessories seemed ready to grant a subclass ability or trigger a raid mechanic. 👾

A Snapshot of the Comparisons

Celebrity	Met Gala Look	Xbox’s Video Game Reference
Blake Lively	Copper gown unfurling into a green train	Boss entering its second phase
Franklin Leonard	Bustle jacket with a huge structured waist	Overencumbered RPG hero
Gigi Hadid	Flowing coat-dress combo	Sorceress
Jared Leto & Alessandro Michele	Nearly identical outfits	Elden Ring Mimic Tear
Teyana Taylor & Winnie Harlow	Unique, elaborate headpieces	Destiny 2 characters

The table above captures just how neatly the Met Gala’s excess mapped onto gaming logic. The comparison worked because both worlds share a love for drama, customization, and the occasional absurdly impractical design choice.

Xbox’s Knack for Lighthearted Trolling

This was not the first time the official Xbox account had leaned into absurdity. The year before, following the announcement that Chris Pratt would voice both Mario and Garfield in upcoming animated films, Xbox playfully claimed the actor would also become the voice of "Mister Chief." The joke caused a bit of confusion before fans realized it was pure mischief, and it perfectly illustrated how the brand likes to balance news with humor.

By trolling the Met Gala, Xbox tapped into a shared language among gamers. Elden Ring and Destiny 2 players instantly understood the references, while even casual fans could appreciate the visual similarities between high fashion and high fantasy. The jokes were gentle, clever, and never mean-spirited, which made them land even harder.

Why the Moment Still Resonates

Looking back from 2026, the 2022 Met Gala trolling remains a favorite slice of gaming social media history. It captured a moment when gaming culture and mainstream celebrity culture collided in a way that felt effortless. The official Xbox account did not need to publish a press release or reveal a new console. It simply looked at a parade of dramatic outfits and said, essentially, that this looks like a raid party.

Whether someone was rooting for Blake Lively’s second-phase reveal or imagining Franklin Leonard dropping items to sprint back into the party, the thread transformed the red carpet into a shared inside joke. That is the magic of gaming communities: even the fanciest gala can become a boss arena with the right perspective. 🎮