Animal Crossing: New Horizons is collaborating with Build-A-Bear Workshop to create a line of customizable plushies representing fans' favorite villagers and NPCs. Not much has been announced yet, but Animal Crossing fans are eagerly awaiting news about which villagers Build-A-Bear will feature.
This isn't the first time Build-A-Bear has done collaborations with video game franchises. There have been a couple of different Super Mario collections in the past, as well as Pokemon plushies. Outside of video games, Build-A-Bear is known for its collaborations. My Little Pony, The Mandolorian, and even PEEPS have worked with Build-A-Bear. Anything is possible, and there are several other video games that need the Build-A-Bear treatment in the future.
Ratchet and Clank
Ratchet and Clank has been a major video game franchise since 2002 and has some pretty adorable characters that would work well for a Build-A-Bear collaboration. With Rift Apart coming out in a couple of months, there’s even more of an opportunity. Ratchet and Clank is a very family-friendly franchise as well, which is more or less a requirement for any Build-A-Bear collaboration.
Rift Apart is adding a female Lombax character to the franchise, and although her name hasn’t been announced yet, she and Ratchet would make an adorable Build-A-Bear combo. Build-A-Bear could also make a Clank plush, but the robot might work better adapted into a bear form. Design a few inter-galactic outfits and accessories, and it could be an amazing collection.
Fall Guys
Although it may not seem like it at first, Fall Guys is the perfect fit for a Build-A-Bear collaboration. Fall Guys became a big deal when it was offered as a PS Plus game in August, and has since come to Nintendo Switch as well. It took the gaming industry by surprise and became incredibly popular as a lighthearted battle royale game that doesn’t require any shooting or killing. It’s hilarious to watch and to play, but the best part might be dressing up your Fall Guy.
Just by playing, gamers can earn a few different currencies that allow them to purchase different items for their character. Players can dress up their Fall Guys as a cactus, a pigeon, Santa, and even a box of fries. The possibilities are endless, and more options are always being added. Bringing Fall Guys to Build-A-Bear would allow fans to customize their Fall Guy in real life, which sounds amazing. And if players can’t win a crown in Fall Guys, that’s okay- just get one from Build-A-Bear.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The Ori franchise has two installments: The Blind Forest and The Will of the Wisps. Ori has won tons of awards for its art direction, soundtrack, and platforming design, and it’s easy to see why. It’s beautiful, it’s appropriate for kids even with the emotional storytelling, and Ori would fit right in with the rest of the Build-A-Bear plushies. His owlet friend from Will of the Wisps, Ku, would also make an adorable plush.
There aren’t as many customization options for a character like Ori, but Build-A-Bear manufacturers all different kinds of toys and more customization options than just clothing. Characters not having official fashions of their own has never stopped Build-A-Bear from creating franchise collections before. If fans wanted to give Ori a new look, then there would be nothing standing in their way.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits is launching on August 24 of this year, and it looks like it could be the first game to fulfill the dream of a Pixar video game. Kena looks gorgeous, and it’s also expected to be a family-friendly title.
The big opportunity for Build-A-Bear is the little black creatures that follow Kena throughout the game, known as the Rot. Rot are small spirits described as timid and elusive, but they’re adorable. Kena finds and adopts different Rot creatures that in turn grant her powerful new abilities, and ultimately ends up with a whole army of the little guys. Players will also be able to unlock hats for their little buddies, so why not just bring them to Build-A-Bear? Even if Build-A-Bear isn’t a perfect fit for the Rot, expect to see lots of plushies upon the game’s release.
Pokemon
Pokemon has done some Build-A-Bear collaborations before and has some plushes available now, but they’ve been pretty limited and are usually online only. Pokemon is a huge franchise with a lot of options for Build-A-Bear, and the collaboration is definitely due for a refresh. Build-A-Bear has cycled through a lot of Pokemon, but it should have a core collection that players can buy in stores.
The Pokemon games are going in a new direction next year with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, so maybe it's a good time to revamp some collaborations as well. Having a couple of the most popular Pokemon in stores would be a great start, and give fans the experience of actually customizing their own plush toy. The current options don’t allow for much customization, which dampens the Build-A-Bear experience. While Pokemon has an active deal with Build-A-Bear, it could use an updated one with in-store options.