Chapter 5 of the popular survival horror game Poppy Playtime just came out, but now fans of the game’s creepy monster dolls are closer to having a Huggy Wuggy of their very own. As part of IGN Fan Fest, McFarlane Toys is revealing some brand-new looks at their line of Poppy Playtime figures.
The lineup, which includes 4.5-inch, 7-inch, and 12-inch models, features fan-favorite characters like Huggy Wuggy, Kissy Missy, Killy Willy, and Harley Sawyer. The 7-inch figures will be available for pre-order February 27. You can purchase the entire lineup in-stores like Walmart, Target and GameStop as well as online at Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth and the McFarlane Toys Store this Spring.
I spoke exclusively with Todd McFarlane about his company’s collaboration with Mob Entertainment, producer of Poppy Playtime, and what makes the game the perfect target for collaboration.
“They’re toys,” McFarlane says of the game’s characters. “My job is to just (see) how much accuracy can we get with what is already popular because you're going from a flat screen to something that you tangible in your hand. If you look at Disney, Pixar came up with this idea called Toy Story. We always lean into the strength (of the IP). (With Poppy Playtime), you’ve got a popular game people like. They’re based on toys and they look toyetic so you go ‘Of course.’ Superman isn't a toy, so you go, ‘Well, let's make one of him. Freddy Krueger isn't a toy, but you go, ‘Let's make one of him.’ But when you have something that is already in that vein, then you go, ‘Shoot, here we go.’
McFarlane says that the team felt it was important to offer a variety of options for consumers with different budgets. With the core 7-inch Poppy Playtime figures, the crew at McFarlane implemented a hybrid design combining articulation points with bendable sections to accurately replicate the characters' curved movements from the game. Those figures will include swappable hands and heads, bases that interlink, packaging that can be used as backdrops, and other accessories.
Along with the 7-inch figures, 4.5-inch bendy figures will be available that will retail for under $10. Larger 12-inch bendy figures will be sold as well for about $20, which McFarlane says represents the “best value” of the line.
McFarlane says that when it came to working out a collaboration with Poppy Playtime, his company’s partnership with Mob Entertainment checked all the boxes. “The Mob guys are a group of people trying to do their passion project,” McFarlane says. “In this case, the passion project worked. I like hanging out with people who are a little bit fearless and are willing to take chances. And artistically, they’re cool to look at!”
For their part, the team at Mob digs deep into community feedback to determine which characters should get a heavy push when it comes to merchandising. Tyler Sanchez, Senior Social and Growth Manager for Mob Entertainment, is at the center of those efforts.
“That's part of my job really, going in and listening to the fans,” Sanchez says. “Not only when we launch a game, but whenever we put out a new YouTube video. I have entire dashboards of character popularity that I can lean into and then tell our licensing team, ‘Hey, people really really like CatNap! We should focus on making more merchandise for CatNap.’ Leaning into what the community wants helps extend the lifetime of the game.”
Beyond merchandising, Sanchez says that Mob's attention to audience reaction actually can affect how future chapters of Poppy Playtime play out.
“I was watching a playthrough and they got to the Pianosaurus and saw him eating on the bottom and (the streamer) was just like, "My boy, I'm so excited." Pianosaurus turns around and runs and then Doey just takes him and slams him and basically murders him. And (the streamer) said, 'Was that it? Is that forever? Is he dead?' And it was just like this moment where (I thought) ‘Oh god, we're just going to break so many people's hearts by killing this character.’ And so because of that, I actually took it upon myself to write additional lore for Pianosaurus.”
Beyond games and a new line of toys, the Poppy Playtime universe is rapidly expanding. Back in 2024, Legendary Entertainment announced that they were working on a movie adaptation of the series. Details of the film are sparse at the moment, and the characters seem ripe for further adaptations. When I asked Sanchez if he could give any hints as to the future of the Poppy universe he demurred. “All I can say is stay tuned.”
Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment at IGN, leading entertainment content and coverage of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He's spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton
📰 Original Source:IGN
✍️ Author: Michael Peyton
