If you have a gamer in your life, you know that there's no hotter interactive brand than Fortnite, the shooter-survival experience that hit the world hard in 2017. Well, the new Fortnite toys are here, just in time for the holidays, so here's how you can track them down before they're gone.
The gaming series that has captured the imagination of almost everyone worldwide under the age of 17 (and their dads, and maybe some moms too) was described by the Washington Post as a cross between Minecraft and a shooter game.
In Fortnite, players fight each other to survive, plowing through zombies and massive battles as they are required to use the materials around them for shelter.
The Fortnite line of toys uses the game as a basis for pretend play for some of the younger fans out there, including a plush llama set that's a take on a popular animal from the game, the supply llama, and various model figures, with each item retailing for $40 or less at Wal-Mart and Target.
According to the Washington Post, Fortnite and such predecessors as Minecraft and World of Warcraft have helped move gaming into the mainstream. Features such as Fortnite's play-for-free status, its cartoonish graphics that make any violence seem less realistic, and its easy-to-follow plot help to account for its widespread appeal. (The legions of celeb fans include Drake, according to the Washington Post, and Carson Daly, who posts about his love of Fortnite.)
If there are kids in your life who simply can't get enough of the game, here are the deets on the newly-available toys. As TODAY exclusively revealed, the collection includes the Loot Llama Plush Toy Figure, a cute purple, pink, and blue stuffed animal for $10, as well as the Llama Drama Loot Piñata, which is stuffed with toys from the game for $25.
Meanwhile, the Fortnite Turbo Builder Set for $40 allows you to bring the surroundings of the game to life with an afternoon's worth of construction projects while the lower-priced Fortnite Loot Chest for $10 is the perfect stocking stuffer with accessories from the game.
The Fortnite Squad Mode 4-Inch Figure Pack for $40 includes four of the most popular "skins" — the cosmetics coverings that can change the look of your character, according to website Gamepedia.com. This set includes Ragnarok, Rex, Cuddle Team Leader, and Brite Bomber. The squad comes with outfits, weapons, and a harvesting tool per action figure. You can also buy these individually.
This toy release probably won't last long with the holidays here, but the excitement over games such as Fortnite aren't going anywhere. Industry experts estimate that about 65 percent of U.S. homes have at least one person who plays games like Fortnite for three hours each week, according to the Washington Post. And TIME magazine recently reported that Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, the man behind Fortnite, is worth an estimated $75 million.
If any of this gets too complicated, though, as some of us are still trying to get down the basics of the game and catch up on all the hype, you can always purchase the Fortnite Monopoly Board Game, available at Target for a modest $16, and call yourself somewhat trendy. Hey, you're behind the times a bit, but what else is new?
