Mobile games development studio and publisher N3TWORK announced today that it has acquired the rights to the upcoming Funko-branded mobile puzzle game Funko Pop! Blitz from Universal Games and Digital Platforms. N3TWORK will be working in cooperation with Universal Games and Digital Platforms to develop the title and “prominently feature many of [Universal’s] vast catalog of brands and characters.”
Universal Games and Digital Platforms is a business unit of Universal Brand Development established during the restructuring of NBCUniversal, a change that followed the company’s announcement that it would no longer developing or publishing titles based on its properties. The acquisition by N3TWORK is part of the company’s overall restructuring plan, with Universal Games and Digital Platforms remaining involved in managing their collection of IPs which include Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television.
N3TWORK’s acquisition of the Funko Pop! Blitz title includes the transfer of “key talent” from Universal Games and Digital Platforms over to the game’s new development home N3TWORK’s Los Angeles Studio. “We have been impressed with N3TWORK’s leadership and publishing capabilities and feel they are the perfect partner to unlock the full potential of Funko Pop! Blitz,” said Jim Molinets, SVP of Production, Universal Games and Digital Platforms. “Our commitment to the game remains strong and we look forward to continue driving its success with fresh and exciting IP and events from our most iconic entertainment franchises.”
The Funko toy company-branded Funko Pop! Blitz is a match-3 puzzler for mobile devices that features the big-head Funko Pop! likenesses of characters from an array of popular franchises including Back to the Future, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, and Universal Monsters, which are all Universal Pictures-owned IPs. The game will also feature famous DreamWorks properties like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, Funko’s own Pop! Pets and Fantastik Plastik characters, and other content from brand partnerships across film, comics, video games, and more.
“Funko’s stylized Pop! character universe is a great celebration of everything pop culture,” said Neil Young, CEO of N3TWORK. “N3TWORK’s expertise in creating moments through events that excite fans is a perfect match with Funko and their passionate audience.”
N3TWORK in development partnership with Tic Toc Games plans to launch Funko Pop! Blitz for Google Play and iOS in 2020.