Pokemon has always been about collecting and leveling up the franchise's titular creatures. Developers like Game Freak and Niantic have continued to encourage players to "catch them all," as demonstrated by their offer to reward players who completed their National Pokedex in Pokemon Home. However, with toy fairs looming on the horizon, avid Pokemon fans will be rushing to also complete their offline merchandise collections.
Although the 2020 New York Toy Fair begins on February 22, toy manufacturer Funko announced its new wave of Pokemon Funko pop figures in advance. The four new figures are already available to pre-order, and each one will cost $10.99. However, the fifth figure is exclusive to Target, and is not available for pre-order.
According to collectible retailer Entertainment Earth, the newest figures are a grumpy variant of its Pikachu figure, and other popular Pokemon like Growlithe, Rattata, and Cubone. These four figures will be available in June of 2020. As for the Target exclusive, it is a 10-inch version of the Mewtwo Funko Pop figure from Wave 2, which introduced Pichu.
With these new releases, Funko is continuing to draw upon popular Pokemon to fill its ranks. Although some might complain that Pikachu and Mewtwo are being featured again, it's important to consider that these figures were only revealed a few weeks after the previous announcement. Funko might need more time to create other characters, and it makes sense to rework two popular Pokemon to save development time and manufacturing costs. However, this announcement's timing seems to confirm that Funko is actively developing more figures for Pokemon. Hopefully, fans who were snubbed this time will get to see their favorite starter Pokemon adapted into a big-headed collectible.
Overall, diehard collectors and casual fans alike should be happy to see Funko expand its Pokemon line. Announcing four new figures immediately after the previous wave is a sign that both Funko and the Pokemon Company are well aware of Pokemon's large influence in the public consciousness. Between this expansion of merchandise and the recent announcement that Pokemon Home has been downloaded 1 million times, it is clear that despite criticism of its recent direction, Pokemon is still here to stay.
Pokemon fans can pre-order the new Pokemon Funko Pop figures now, with the toys officially releasing in June.
Source: Entertainment Earth