Funko fans no doubt recognize the face of Freddy in 10:10 Games' Funko Fusion, the brand's squeaky-clean, beloved mascot. However, the upcoming action-adventure game also introduces fans to Freddy's antithetical nemesis, Eddy Funko, who plays the central villain in Funko Fusion. Taking advantage of Freddy's ability to change form, Funko Fusion welcomes a host of new Pops corrupted by Eddy's shapeshifting skills, both in and outside the game. It's a collection that includes Pops like Apollo, Starbuck, Boomer, and Athena from Battlestar Galactica, the Blair Monster from John Carpenter's The Thing, and more, some with the chance of a Chase variant. Of course, Funko Fusion's characters also have the potential to spawn unique fandoms beyond the game, with many fans likely eager to collect their favorites.
In a conversation with The Best War Games, Jason Bischoff, VP for Licensing and Business Development at Funko, talked about how iconic designs were adapted for Funko Fusion, including creating some unique-looking Pops for the game itself. Bischoff also detailed the reasons behind the creation of Eddy, who not only sets the stage for several Chase Funko! Pop variants, but who also plays a crucial role beyond that of simply a villain.
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Adapting Funko Pops For Funko Fusion
When asked whether it was a challenge to adapt Funko! Pops into video game format, Bischoff talked about how Funko's involvement in animated shorts was a crucial reminder of the importance of pantomime. For instance, Bischoff explained there are some things that only Funko! Pops could do, something which also seems to lend itself well to Funko Fusion's irreverent humor. As Bischoff explained,
"Well, I guess there was some precedence in that we had been producing these fully-rendered animated shorts for years now, and those shorts actually taught us quite a bit going into this project, which is pantomime is key. Celebrating the fact that it's not a true and authentic version of the character - it's the toy-stylized version or a collectible stylized version. You could be a bit more tongue-in-cheek, in that a head can pop off or a thing only a collectible can do."
Adding to that tongue-in-cheek humor is the fact that Funko Fusion has no voice acting, which Bischoff added the team knew they wanted from the get-go. It's also something they felt would lead to better gags and enable them to lean into a world made of vinyl where characters' heads can even melt from fire damage, "exposing a toy skeleton inside."
Why Eddy Funko Is The Villain Of Funko Fusion
Bischoff also talked about how it was an "awesome responsibility" and a "privilege" to adapt Pops for Funko Fusion by working on the licensing and creative side. Of course, in addition to adapting iconic characters like Freddy, new characters were made like Eddy. Bischoff explained Eddy has a larger role than just being the villain, as the opposite of Freddy. As Bischoff explained:
"In the antithetical, we basically wanted to personify the opposite of a Funko fan. If Freddy is the ultimate fan, then Eddy is the ultimate critic...because ultimately, everybody has a place at the Funko table."
Whether someone is a hardcore Funko fan or not, Bischoff said that everyone is welcome in Funko Fusion, where "we're creating characters where everybody feels like they're at the same table", adding that is "the Funko story more than anything else." It's certainly a fascinating idea, and that will be interesting to see how players react to Funko Fusion's upcoming release.
Funko Fusion
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 53 /100 Critics Rec: 14%
- Released
- September 13, 2024
- ESRB
- e
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Developer
- 10:10 Games
- Publisher
- 10:10 Games
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
