Rockstar Energy's New Cans: Bigger Star, Same Old Drinks

Celsius has finally made a visible move with Rockstar Energy: new cans. At the 2026 NACS Show in Las Vegas, Celsius Holdings showed redesigned Rockstar packaging with a bigger, brighter yellow star and rougher, edgier background graphics that change from product to product.

It's the first real public sign of what Celsius plans for Rockstar since it took over the brand in the US and Canada. Celsius calls the cans the first and most visible part of a wider "reintroduction" of Rockstar.

What the New Cans Look Like

The preview covered three of Rockstar's best-known products: Original, Pure Zero Silver Ice, and Punched Fruit Punch. All three carry the same bold yellow star. The backgrounds change a lot from one can to the next, and Original shows the new style best, with a scratched-up black-and-yellow finish that stands out.

Rockstar went the other way with its 2024 European makeover, which shrank the star. Putting it back front and center is the right call, because the star has always been the most recognizable thing about the brand. The rest of the lineup is expected to switch to the new look later. Celsius hasn't said when the refreshed cans will reach stores.

Celsius also says it's putting more focus on Rockstar's roots in music, motorsports, and action sports. At the show, it backed that up with a Rockstar takeover of its booth on Oct. 7, featuring a live set from The Paradox.

Alani Nu Has Been the Real Rock Star

The redesign lands on a brand that hasn't given Celsius much to cheer about. We've followed it through every earnings report since the deal. When Celsius posted its 2025 results, Alani Nu had brought in just over $1 billion in its first three quarters under Celsius. Rockstar added $55.6 million after the deal closed on August 28.

The gap hasn't closed this year. In Q1 2026, Rockstar's retail sales fell 13% year over year, leaving it a 2.0% dollar share, while Alani Nu did $368.1 million in revenue and doubled its retail sales. Q2 told the same story: Rockstar brought in $66.5 million with retail sales down another 13%, while Alani Nu put up $364.4 million and grew retail sales 56%.

So far, Rockstar has been shelf space and PepsiCo leverage, not a growth engine. That's the hole the new cans have to dig it out of.

What's Still Missing

Credit where it's due. The new cans are louder and easier to spot on a cooler shelf. But Celsius didn't announce new flavors, a new formula, or any change to what's inside the can. Shoppers who walked away from Rockstar years ago don't have a new reason to try it again. The design has changed. The drinks haven't.

Celsius's other big NACS launch shows the gap. Celsius Energy+ Hydration is a new non-carbonated 16oz drink with 200mg caffeine, 670mg of combined electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and magnesium), and four fruit flavors meant to drink more like a sports drink. It starts rolling out in early 2027. That launch gives people a new product to buy. Rockstar got new cans.

To compete again, Rockstar needs flavors people talk about, a formula that holds up next to newer launches, and a reason to pick it over the brands that took its spot. The new cans make Rockstar easier to notice, but Celsius still has to give people a reason to buy it again.