SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--N3TWORK, a premier games, media and technology company, has secured the rights to become the official developer and publisher of the highly anticipated Funko-branded mobile game, Funko Pop! Blitz. N3TWORK will collaborate with Funko and Universal Games & Digital Platforms, the previous publisher of the title, and will prominently feature many of the media company’s vast catalog of brands and characters.
Funko Pop! Blitz is a match-3 puzzle game featuring the Funko Pop! versions of fan-favorite characters from across multiple iconic franchises, including Universal Pictures’ Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic World and Universal Monsters, along with DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, as well as Funko’s Fantastik Plastik, Wetmore Forest and Pop! Pets lines. The company also plans to introduce IP from additional brand holders including beloved characters from film, television, toys, comics, video games and more. N3TWORK will formally launch Funko Pop! Blitz, developed in collaboration with Tic Toc Games, in 2020.
“Funko’s stylized Pop! character universe is a great celebration of everything pop culture,” said Neil Young, CEO, N3TWORK. “N3TWORK’s expertise in creating moments through events that excite fans is a perfect match with Funko and their passionate audience.”
“Funko is thrilled to continue working with the exceptional team over at N3TWORK to deliver a five-star mobile player experience for Funko fans, pop culture enthusiasts and avid gamers,” said Funko Chief Marketing Officer Molly Hartney.
The migration of Funko Pop! Blitz-branded content to N3TWORK will be facilitated and supported by the hiring of some key talent from Universal Games and Digital Platforms to carry the game and vision forward, and they will be based in 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.”
Funko Pop! Blitz will leverage the recently announced SCALE PLATFORM, which utilizes N3TWORK’s automated user acquisition technology, capital and expertise to enable mobile marketing at scale. The SCALE PLATFORM enhances the technology behind N3TWORK’s popular action puzzle RPG Legendary: Game of Heroes, as well as its upcoming Tetris mobile game. In addition, Funko Pop! Blitz will be featured in THE N3TWORK, the company’s media and community app, currently in use by players of Legendary: Game of Heroes. THE N3TWORK will host the Funko Pop! Blitz Community and will be more broadly deployed as a tool for other partners to build direct relationships with their communities in the future.
About N3TWORK
N3TWORK is a new type of games, media, and technology company at the intersection of entertainment and community. N3TWORK is backed by a variety of investors including Blue Planet Software, Eniac Ventures, Floodgate, Griffin Gaming Partners, Galaxy Digital via its Galaxy Digital EOS VC Fund, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Korea Investment Partners, Ocean Road and Table Management. The company’s flagship title Legendary: Game of Heroes, an innovative mobile fantasy puzzle RPG, has established new standards in live service and community engagement. N3TWORK’s Scale Platform was announced in 2019 and will provide mobile app developers an opportunity to scale their businesses by providing user acquisition technology, expertise and capital. For more information on N3TWORK visit: https://N3TWORK.com/
About Universal Games and Digital Platforms
Universal’s Games and Digital Platforms group leverages the vast portfolio of IP and characters from NBCUniversal. The Games and Digital Platforms group is a business unit of Universal Brand Development, which is chartered with globally expanding the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content and consumer experiences. The company's extensive portfolio includes properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalbranddevelopment.com
About Funko
Headquartered in Everett, Washington, Funko is a leading pop culture consumer products company. Funko designs, sources and distributes licensed pop culture products across multiple categories, including vinyl figures, action toys, plush, apparel, board games, housewares and accessories for consumers who seek tangible ways to connect with their favorite pop culture brands and characters. Learn more at https://www.funko.com/, and follow us on Twitter (@OriginalFunko) and Instagram (@OriginalFunko).
For more information on the game, visit funkopopblitz.com.
