A year after Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ release, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced that it would be collaborating with the franchise to bring beloved villagers to life. Although Build-A-Bear had been teasing an Animal Crossing collaboration on Twitter as early as May 2020, the rumors were confirmed on March 10. Speculation quickly began circulating online about which ACNH villagers would be available.
The collaboration launched on April 6 with hesitation from some fans. Build-A-Bear had advertised an Animal Crossing collection, but only included the two most iconic characters from the franchise: Isabelle and Tom Nook. The Isabelle and Tom Nook plushes wore their summer outfits, and both came with voice options of phrases that included in-game reaction noises, the villager talking, or the New Horizons’ theme music. Isabelle and Tom Nook were only available for purchase on Build-A-Bear's site and they quickly sold out.
The original Animal Crossing Build-A-Bear launch was disappointing to those who had hopes of a wider variety of villagers. However, Build-A-Bear has since released more options for Animal Crossing plush and accessories that evidences its continued support of the collection. These releases paired with Build-A-Bear’s promises of in-store availability are restoring hope to those who want to get their hands on their favorite Animal Crossing villagers.
Since summer-outfitted Isabelle and Tom Nook were released, more Animal Crossing items have appeared on Build-A-Bear’s site. Isabelle and Tom Nook were once again made available on May 11; however, this time they were dressed in their winter outfits. Shortly after their launch, Build-A-Bear announced that it would be releasing a third character during the summer. Some fans speculated that the new character would be a popular Animal Crossing recruitable villager, like Raymond or perhaps Marshal. On June 10, K.K. Slider, yet another Animal Crossing icon, was released. A few Animal Crossing-themed plush clothing and handheld items are also now available for purchase on Build-A-Bear’s site. Although fairly new, Build-A-Bear continues to show its support for the collection by releasing exciting new villagers and accessories.
Even though Isabelle, Tom Nook, and K.K. Slider are obvious choices for merchandise, some fans would like to see other villager options. In December 2015, Build-A-Bear began to release Pokémon plushes. This collaboration began with the Pokémon Pikachu, the franchise’s mascot. Two more iconic Pokémon, Charmander and Eevee, were released the following year. In 2021, there is a wide variety of Pokémon available at Build-A-Bear, including Pokémon made famous by the Pokémon anime or other lesser-known species. It is possible that Build-A-Bear will follow a similar model with Animal Crossing villagers in the coming months or even years.
Build-A-Bear has announced that Animal Crossing plushes will be sold in retail stores beginning in the summer of 2021. Once the existing characters are more available for purchase, it is possible that more Animal Crossing villager options will be available as well. The release of new villagers could come with new outfits or item availability in-store. This would allow fans to customize and individualize their plushes, consistent with Build-A-Bear’s current options for Pokémon plushes. With Build-A-Bear’s continued support of the collection and a wider variety of in-store options, their collaboration with Animal Crossing can deliver on their.
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