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Jazwares is fast becoming one of the most impressive companies out there, with monster licenses and knockout lines. Fortnite was just the start.
Building a stable
I’m not much of a Fortnite fan… okay I’m not a Fortnite fan at all, but I don’t have to be to see that the game is a winner, loved by millions around the world. And I don’t have to be a collector of the various Fortnite toy lines to see that they’re likewise beloved. interestingly enough too, the figures are collected by not only the game’s fanbase, but also a solid group of action figure collectors who just like ’em because they’re really, really cool.
For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Fortnite offers everything from superheroes, to medieval and viking warriors, to demons and monsters of every stripe. The kick, as I understand it, is that there’s really no story behind the game or the characters that you can play as, so you can have literally anything in there as a playable combatant. Even a living, giant banana named Peely.
The result is a toy line that appeals (*cough*) to almost anyone who likes, well, cool stuff. While I have yet to actually pick up a Fortnite figure, I can’t imagine I’m too far away from just that.
But the point of all of this, is that even with all the Fortnite stuff I just mentioned, you won’t see any of it here in this article. Why? Because Jazwares’ Fortnite showroom was a no-photo zone. I could take zero pictures inside of it, since almost everything was not yet shown publicly and/or unannounced.
And yet, this piece is set to be one of the meatiest in BG’s Toy Fair 2020 coverage. That should say volumes, since even without its (arguable) key license, Jazwares had tons to show off. Let’s start with one of their biggest new additions, AEW.
AEW
All-Elite Wrestling is the brainchild of a core group of longtime pro’s including Cody Rhodes, son of wrestling legend Dusty, and brother to the also legendary Dustin. It’s a pretty big family.
Since its launch last fall, the company has gained a rabid following, and now holds weekly events in the vein of WWE’s Raw, as well as monthly Pay-Per-Views. So of course, with all of this stardom, there’s bound to be an action figure line.
Jazwares is launching the series this year, and it’s packed. As I bobbed and weaved in between on-hand AEW talent like the Jurassic Express and the Young Guns, I got a few shots of what’s on the way. That includes figures of the aforementioned, as well as superstars like Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, and newly crowned champ John Moxley.
All of this is what I’d call high quality stuff. It’s a truly elite looking figure series, with maximum articulation, and spot-on sculpting. There will also be a scaled ring to pose and play in, as well as a replica championship belt.
Here’s a taste of what’s coming up:
UFC
Another new license for Jazwares, the UFC is getting one more chance at plastic stardom. Fans might remember the fighting league as bouncing around quite a bit when it comes to toys, but this might be the best looking set of action figures yet.
Much like with AEW, the UFC figures have great sculpting and articulation. But unlike with the wrestlers, the Ultimate Fighters have real soft-goods trunks. It’s an interesting departure, and looks neat.
Also worth mentioning is that these look to be pretty much in scale with the AEW figures, and some others wrestling toys that shall remain nameless. So if you ever wanted to set up a little in-ring dream-match action, you probably could.
Now, we don’t have shots of these guys since… actually I’m not sure why we don’t have shots of them. It’s been a week since the show, and I saw and photographed a ton of stuff there, and for the life of me I can’t imagine why I didn’t get pics of the UFC stuff. Was it ‘no photos allowed’? I have no idea. So let’s get onto something that we definitely do have pictures of.
Halo
Probably the license that I most wanted to see from Jazwares, Halo did not disappoint. Jazwares has done an awesome job with Microsoft’s former juggernaut of a series, and it’s great to see as a long time fan.
Halo has been out of the spotlight for a while, if you haven’t been paying attention. It’s also jumped around a lot in terms of toys, much like the UFC in the above, and seeing it get the kind of treatment that Jazwares is preparing to give it, well it’s a very nice thing indeed to see.
This is, of course, a very smart thing for all parties included. Halo is coming back with a vengeance, thanks to this fall’s Halo Infinite, which will be hitting the Xbox One and all-new Series X from Microsoft. So this fall and Holiday season is going to be a Halo blitz, so a new action figure line will fit right in. Oh, did I mention that this is all set to hit this year? In the fall? Well, it is, and about “40% more” according to a Jazwares rep.
Yes, if you’re a Halo fan, there’s a ton to buy coming up in a few months. That includes a badass Master Chief (wearable with lighting) Mjolnir-armor helmet (around $99 USD), 6.5″ scale figures, 4″ scale figures, vehicles (for the 3.75″ figs), 12″ scale figures, and role-play weapons like the energy sword. That last item by the way, lights up with rolling lights and a rumble feature. It’s really cool to see.
I am, as you can probably tell, excited.
Micro Machines
What? Micro Machines? Yes, Micro Machines. It’s a bit of a departure from the stuff above, but Jazwares has gotten the ability from Hasbro to produce new Micro Machines stuff. And man these are some neat little sets.
The new vehicles will be sold in sets, much like the classics were. They’ll include something new though, in the form of mini-dioramas that can link together to create a road to drive your minis along.
That’s not to say that playsets won’t be included in the line though, as they most definitely will. Not only will they have playsets, but they’ll have the same flavor as the 80s versions, as they’ll be feature rich, and transforming to a degree.
Also, while the vehicles you see below don’t have real-world licenses, I was told that the line will have actual car brands at some point. Jazwares is working on that now.
