By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Hasbro has just renewed its long-standing partnership with TOMY Company, T-Licensing Inc and ADK Emotions NY to launch BEYBLADE X, the next generation of BEYBLADE products.
Following a July debut in Japan, these much-anticipated Generation 4 Beyblade products will see a global launch in Fall 2024, coinciding with the brand’s 25th anniversary. The BEYBLADE franchise was inspired by traditional Japanese battling tops called “Bei-Goma,” and was originally created in 1999 by TOMY Company, as a modern battling top system. The brand has been an international phenomenon in over 80 countries, with three full generations to date, including seven series, two movies, and three spin-off series.
The new BEYBLADE X line introduces a new spin on the line of battling tops, introducing a new gear innovation which allows the battle tops Tops to burst into high gear for more explosive battles.
BEYBLADE X offers Tops identical in weight, feel, and performance across Hasbro and Takara Tomy, along with additional Hasbro Tops that meet the same high standard.
The partners say this new generation builds off BEYBLADE’s rich history, from the brand’s launch in 1999 to 2008’s Metal Fusion launch to 2015’s Burst technology, while mirroring the high-quality fans have come to know and love with the Takara Tomy product.
“BEYBLADE X is special in that we have combined fan-favorite elements from each generation into a system with amazing, brand-new features, resulting in extreme speeds and epic battles,” said Tom Warner, Senior Vice President of Global Brands at Hasbro. “There will be something for everyone, whether you’re a longtime fan or just starting your Blading journey.”
The Generation 4 products will bring the world of BEYBLADE animation and toys together around BEYBLADE X, the newest installation of the fan-favorite TV series. In the new episodes, a rag-tag team of Bladers come together as friends and battle their way up ‘The X’ to prove themselves against the best of the best.
The new storyline features a fresh lineup of characters, and is written by Hikaru Muno and Homura Kawamoto, the creators of the critically acclaimed Kakegurui, and designed by Posuka Demizu, the artist behind the best-selling manga series The Promised Neverland.
The opening theme song “Prove” is performed by the band ONE OK ROCK, and the ending theme song, “ZOOM ZOOM,” is performed by the international Metaverse group aespa.
“BEYBLADE X promises to deliver the excitement and innovation fans love with the brand-new toy line and animated series, and the franchise is set to drive incredible engagement on a global scale,” says T-Licensing Inc. representative Daizo Suzuki.
The BEYBLADE X anime series premieres Oct. 6, 2023, on TV Tokyo in Japan. The U.S., Europe, Latin America and PAC anime premieres will follow in 2024.
“We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with Hasbro to launch the next generation of BEYBLADE products and deepen fan connections with the brand,” said ADK Emotions NY representative Shunichi Ogawa. “We are looking forward to making the BEYBLADE experience as rich as possible while catering to both our longstanding community members and newcomers alike.”
Hasbro will join fans in celebrating the new series, BEYBLADE’s 25th anniversary, and the global launch of Generation 4 products by giving them opportunities to commemorate the brand’s legacy through a variety of activations throughout the year ahead.
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