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🔥 Funko throws in the towel and sells all of its gaming assets to the giant Goliath! What does the future hold for Funko Games branded games? ❓🎲
The uncertain future of Funko games
The American giant Funko, famous for its pop figures and its derivative products, has made an unexpected decision in the small world of board games, to say the least: it has sold all its assets in this sector to the Dutch publisher Goliath Games! Yes you’ve read correctly. Explanations.
This news broke yesterday, Wednesday, January 17th, surprising everyone. In an official press release, Funko announced that the company had entered into an exclusive agreement with Goliath to make Goliath the global distributor of its games and puzzles.
But that’s not all: Goliath is also acquiring Prospero Hall, the Seattle-based writing collective that Funko bought in 2019 to develop more complex games, as well as all associated intellectual property. In other words: Funko is completely throwing in the towel in the gaming sector!
Shocks in the industry
Why such a turnaround when the brand has invested in recent years to establish itself with well-known publishers? Well, it seems that Funko’s disappointing financial results in 2023 are the reason for this radical decision. Recall that last year the company posted three consecutive quarters of losses, which led to massive layoffs in July 2023. Only the Other Brands division, including games, fluctuated. Nevertheless, Funko preferred to concentrate again on its core business, the pop figures, and sell its fun items.
It must be said that 2023 has not been easy for the entertainment industry, which has just completed two turbulent years with the Covid-19 pandemic. Given rampant inflation and raw material shortages, many publishers have had to lower their forecasts and be cautious about their investments.
Consumer purchasing power is also affected, with a tendency to choose useful purchases over leisure activities. The frenzy of game purchases seen during the lockdown now appears to be over. In this bleak environment, industry players are forced to make difficult decisions to ensure their survival.
Funko’s withdrawal from the entertainment sector is therefore part of a broader trend of strategic questioning in the face of current economic challenges. We can only hope for better days so publishers can once again focus on the innovation and creativity that make modern board games so rich.
This is where Goliath comes into play. The Dutch giant, known for family classics like Rummikub and other very, very, very family titles, sees this acquisition as a unique opportunity to expand its offering and reach a wider audience thanks to popular licenses such as Harry Potter or Jurassic Park.
Funko, in turn, collects the jackpot while retaining a percentage of future sales of Funko Games-branded games. A golden deal for the American who can replenish his coffers, but very bad news for fans of their games with their recognizable style and their adaptations!
Funko, (re)familiar titles
Because yes, it must be recognized that Funko, despite its recent entry into the world of modern board games, has managed to carve out a good place for itself in the gaming market. Titles like Disney Haunted Mansion (kind of cool), Pan Am or Rear Window (not cool at all) brilliantly cover (more or less, let’s be honest) different universes and pop culture licenses. So many little nuggets that are now in danger of disappearing if Goliath decides to go in a different direction…
And what about the talented authors at Prospero Hall who gave us these playful wonders? Will they be taken over by Goliath to continue their work as goldsmiths? Nothing is less safe. Apparently no team members were included in the deal, leaving their future uncertain. This is worrying for these authors, who deserve to be given a framework conducive to their limitless inventiveness (think of the very good Kero from the Geneva Hurricane editions). Let’s hope Goliath can surround itself with these experts to get the most out of Funko’s licenses.
In short, as you will have understood, this sudden withdrawal of Funko from the entertainment sector leaves many unknowns. Fans of their games have the right to ask us questions. What will become of this catalog? Will the next planned excursions be canceled? Does Goliath really have the shoulders to take over from an entertainment giant like Funko?
It’s difficult to plan ahead at the moment. Let’s wait and see what Goliath has in store for us in the coming months. Let’s hope the Dutch publisher knows how to make the most of these high-potential licenses while maintaining its identity.
While we wait to see things more clearly, let’s take the opportunity to (re)discover the Funko Games brand nuggets already on the market. Who knows, they could well become sought-after collector’s items if the brand disappeared from the fun shelves!
And you, what are your favorite Funko games? Share your favorites in the comments so we can wait patiently for Goliath’s verdict on the future of this range.
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Article written by Gus. Editor-in-Chief of Gus&Co. Teaches at the Higher School of Comics and Illustration and has been working in the world of games as an author and journalist since 1989.
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