Olivia R. February 19, 2019
Fortnite superstar streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has found a new way to entertain his fans away from the screen, as the famous gamer is launching a line of branded toys.
The toys premiered at the New York Toy Fair. Wicked Cool Toys has created a collection of figures, plush, and even a wig, all featuring Ninja’s signature blue hair and yellow headband.
One of the figures is part of a line representing popular Twitch streamers. Crafted by toymaker Lamo, the figure lets collectors see their new Ninja toy in an augmented reality mobile game.
“You’ve got tens of millions of subscribers who will immediately be engaged with the experience before the product is even on the shelf. We were taking a brand with tremendous breadth and making it a line,” said Jeremy Padawer, co-president of Wicked Cool Toys.
It’s a concept that has worked well for other toy companies in the past. Jazwares created the Tube Heroes line of action figures, based on the likeness of popular Minecraft players in 2015. At launch the line featured ten YouTubers, and the count has since grown to more than 20.
Just like Jazwares, Wicked Cool Toys will be offering mystery boxes. This $40 purchase has five Ninja-themed stages to unwrap that include a plush, a bobble figure, a collectible figurine, and stickers. With children flocking to unboxing videos on YouTube, this item is sure to be a hit with Ninja’s younger audience.
With over 13 million Twitch followers and 21 million YouTube subscribers, Ninja is one of the most recognized faces in gaming. He was the first professional gamer to appear on the cover of ESPN Magazine, and has become a household name in mainstream media following his live streams with Drake and appearance on daytime talk shows and during the Super Bowl.
The Ninja toy line will be available fall 2019.