You’ve probably seen the clip. It’s grainy, chaotic, and features everyone’s favorite green-clad plumber holding a firearm. It feels wrong. It feels like a fever dream from the early 2000s internet. But if you’re asking why did Luigi shoot the CEO, you’ve likely stumbled into one of the most persistent, confusing, and hilarious pieces of "lost" gaming media that isn't actually lost at all. It’s a piece of marketing history that Nintendo would probably rather we all forget, though the internet never truly lets anything die.
First things first: Luigi didn't actually assassinate a corporate executive in a dark alleyway over a missed paycheck or a dispute about his secondary status to Mario.
Context matters here. A lot.
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The "CEO" in question is actually a fictionalized version of a corporate head, and the "shooting" happened during a promotional campaign for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Specifically, we’re talking about a series of trailers and skits that leaned heavily into the "XCOM with slapstick" vibe of the game. If you remember the lead-up to that Ubisoft/Nintendo collaboration, it was a weird time for everyone involved.
The Origins of the Infamous Clip
The whole thing started with the weirdest crossover in gaming history. When the leaks for Mario + Rabbids first hit the web, people thought it was a prank. Why would Nintendo let the Rabbids—Ubisoft's chaotic, screaming mascots—near the Mushroom Kingdom? More importantly, why were they giving Mario and Luigi laser guns?
This is where the confusion about why did Luigi shoot the CEO begins to take root.
In the game’s marketing, Ubisoft leaned into the absurdity. They created a series of "Developer Diaries" and promotional shorts. In one particular instance of high-concept marketing gone off the rails, a skit featured a "CEO" character (often a stand-in for the Ubisoft executive leadership or a generic corporate suit) who was trying to "clean up" the image of the game.
Luigi, sporting his high-tech "Precision" weapon from the game—which, let’s be real, looks exactly like a futuristic sniper rifle—ends up "eliminating" the corporate interference. It wasn't a gritty crime drama. It was a joke about game design. It was a meta-commentary on the clash between Nintendo’s "safe" brand and the tactical, weapon-heavy gameplay of the Kingdom Battle universe.
The Power of the Meme
Memes are a hell of a drug. They strip away context.
If you see a five-second GIF of Luigi looking through a scope and pulling a trigger, and the next frame is a man in a suit falling over, your brain fills in the gaps. The internet took the promotional footage and edited it to look like a targeted hit. This is why the search for why did Luigi shoot the CEO persists; it’s a classic case of the "Mandela Effect" mixed with clever video editing.
People genuinely started to believe there was some hidden, banned commercial where Luigi snapped. There wasn't. But the fan-made edits were so convincing, and the original Ubisoft marketing was so bizarre, that the line between "official promo" and "internet chaos" blurred permanently.
The Real "CEO" Connection: Nintendo vs. The Fans
To understand why this specific meme resonated so hard, you have to look at the relationship between Nintendo fans and the corporate office. For years, there’s been a simmering tension. Fans want more mature themes; Nintendo wants to protect its family-friendly image.
When Mario + Rabbids came out, it was the first time we saw these characters with "guns." Even though they were "blasters" that shot honey or lasers, the silhouette was unmistakable.
- Luigi is the "underdog."
- The CEO represents "The Man."
- The sniper rifle is the "Great Equalizer."
Seeing the usually timid Luigi take a stand against a suit? That’s catharsis. It’s the same reason people love the "Luigi's Death Stare" meme from Mario Kart 8. We love seeing the "cowardly" brother turn into a stone-cold savage. The "CEO" became a symbol for every time a game was delayed, every time a fan project was DMCA'd, and every time the corporate side of gaming felt out of touch with the players.
Was There Actually a "Banned" Commercial?
Rumors of a banned commercial are mostly playground talk evolved for the digital age. You've heard the stories. "My uncle works at Nintendo and saw the unedited version."
It’s all nonsense, obviously.
Nintendo is incredibly protective of its IP. There is a zero-percent chance they would ever authorize a video where a core character commits a violent act against a real human being. However, the Mario + Rabbids trailers did feature some surprisingly edgy humor. There were scenes of Rabbids being disintegrated and characters being blown across maps. Compared to the usual New Super Mario Bros. vibe, it was practically The Matrix.
The confusion often stems from a specific Ubisoft E3 presentation. During the reveal, Davide Soliani, the Creative Director, famously cried when Shigeru Miyamoto praised the game. It was a beautiful, human moment. But later in that same cycle, the marketing team went "full Rabbid." They produced shorts where the characters "took over" the Ubisoft offices. In one of these, the chaos results in the "CEO" (again, a fictionalized version) being caught in the crossfire of the tactical combat.
Why the Internet Won't Let It Go
We live in an era of "Deepfakes" and "Shitposting." A video of Luigi shooting a CEO is exactly the kind of thing that thrives on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) or TikTok. It’s short, it’s shocking, and it plays on our nostalgia.
Honestly, the "why" doesn't matter as much to the internet as the "vibe." The image of Luigi as a hitman is funny because it’s the antithesis of his character. He’s the guy who shakes in his boots when a ghost appears. Seeing him hold a high-powered tactical weapon is peak comedy.
When you dig into the data, the search volume for why did Luigi shoot the CEO spikes whenever a new Mario game is announced or whenever Nintendo does something "corporate" that upsets the fanbase. It’s a shorthand for "Luigi is tired of the BS."
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Analyzing the "Weaponry"
In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, Luigi’s primary weapon is the "Sharpshooter." It’s designed for long-range combat. It has a high crit rate. In the game’s lore, these weapons were created by a combination of a VR headset and a Rabbid-fusing washing machine (don't ask).
The specific animation that people point to—where Luigi crouches, aims, and fires—is actually his "Steely Gaze" ability. It’s a "Reaction Shot" mechanic. If an enemy moves in his line of sight, he fires automatically. In the context of the meme, the "CEO" just happened to be the one moving in his line of sight.
Cultural Impact of the "Savage Luigi" Persona
This isn't just about one video. It's a whole subculture. From "Mr. L" in Super Paper Mario to the "Death Stare," there is a deep-seated desire among fans to see Luigi break bad.
- The Shadow Brother: Luigi has always lived in Mario's shadow. The "shooting" meme gives him agency.
- Subverting Expectations: Nintendo is the most "polished" company in the world. Anything that scuffs that polish is instant viral gold.
- The Tactical Shift: Mario + Rabbids was a genuine risk. It changed how we perceived the characters. If they can handle tactical warfare, why can't they handle a corporate layoff?
Clearing Up the Misconceptions
Let’s be extremely clear about the facts here to avoid any more urban legends:
There is no real-world CEO who was harmed by a guy in a Luigi suit. This isn't a "true crime" story. It’s a story about how marketing and memes collide. If you see a headline claiming a "Nintendo Executive was attacked by a Luigi cosplayer," it’s likely clickbait or a satirical piece from a site like The Onion or Hard Drive.
The "CEO" in the videos is almost always an actor. In the world of Ubisoft’s marketing, everyone is a character. The "CEO" represents the obstacle to fun, and Luigi represents the "unconventional" hero who clears the path.
How to Spot the Fakes
If you’re hunting for the original video, look for the Mario + Rabbids promotional "Behind the Scenes" parodies from 2017. You'll see the high-quality assets used by Ubisoft mixed with live-action office footage. That’s the source material. Anything else—anything that looks too violent or features real blood—is a fan-made edit using tools like Source Filmmaker (SFM) or Garry's Mod.
SFM is responsible for about 90% of the "Luigi with a gun" content on YouTube. Creators take the official character models and put them in situations that Nintendo would never allow. It’s impressive work, but it’s not official.
Actionable Insights for the Curious
If you're still fascinated by the weird crossroads of Nintendo and tactical combat, here is what you should actually do:
- Check out the "Community" shorts: Search for the original Mario + Rabbids "Don't Mess with the Luigi" promos. They are genuinely funny and show the intended humor.
- Play the Game: If you haven't played Kingdom Battle or Sparks of Hope, you're missing out on a world where Luigi is unironically a top-tier long-range assassin. He's the MVP of almost every tactical map.
- Verify Source Material: Whenever you see a "banned" clip, look for the watermark. Most of these "Luigi shooting" videos have a small "SFM" or "Gmod" tag hidden in the corner.
- Understand the Meta: Recognize that the meme is a commentary on corporate culture. It’s less about the violence and more about the "rebellion" against the suit-and-tie world.
The mystery of why did Luigi shoot the CEO isn't a mystery of motive—it's a mystery of medium. It’s a perfect example of how a specific moment in gaming history can be warped by the internet's collective imagination. Luigi is still the lovable, scaredy-cat brother we know. He’s just also, thanks to some weird marketing and creative fans, the guy who isn't afraid to take a "tactical" approach to corporate negotiations.
Next time you see that clip, you can be the person in the comments explaining that it was just a Ubisoft promo gone rogue. Or, you can just enjoy the chaos. Sometimes, a green plumber with a sniper rifle is exactly the kind of weirdness the internet needs.