TOKYO, Nov. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TOMY Company, Ltd., based in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, will collaborate with FC Barcelona, a legendary European multi-sports club based in Catalonia, to release two FC Barcelona versions of BEYBLADE X, a modern breed of "bei-goma" (traditional Japanese spinning top), in Asian countries and regions early next year.
The BEYBLADE X "UX-00 STARTER DRANBUSTER 1-60A METAL COAT: BLUE FC BARCELONA Ver." and BEYBLADE X "UX-00 BEY KICK OFF SET FC BARCELONA Ver." will be released in 10 Asian countries and regions -- Japan, South Korea, Taiwan region, Hong Kong SAR, Mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia -- on Saturday, January 25, 2025 (The company will launch the products in Japan first and then gradually roll them out to the nine other Asian countries and regions).
Prior to their release, a limited number of units of these two products will be sold at the "Asia Championship 2024" (*), an event to be held at the Fountain Plaza (alpa B1 basement) of the Sunshine City commercial complex in Tokyo's Ikebukuro district on Sunday, December 1, 2024, to determine the best Blader. (The two products will be sold only on that day at the Ikebukuro Sunshine City store of Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us.)
Logo: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI3fl_3p86CXzm.png
Photo1: BEYBLADE X "UX-00 STARTER DRANBUSTER 1-60A METAL COAT: BLUE FC BARCELONA Ver."
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI1fl_TmjX962w.jpg
Photo2: BEYBLADE X "UX-00 BEY KICK OFF SET FC BARCELONA Ver."
https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI2fl_Stbe305K.jpg
This year marks the 125th anniversary of FC Barcelona, founded in 1899, and the 25th anniversary of BEYBLADE, which was first released in 1999. Both of them have been loved worldwide across cultures, languages and national boundaries. Resonating with the shared values of BEYBLADE and FC Barcelona, which provide a lot of excitement and thrills, the collaboration between the two has been realized in this anniversary year. Through this collaboration, these products will allow their users to better feel "BEYBLADE X," which has evolved into a "Gear Sports" that fascinates not only the players but also the spectators.
Josep Maria Meseguer, General Manager of Barca Licensing and Merchandising (BLM), FC Barcelona said, "Similar to TOMY, one of the world's largest toy companies, FC Barcelona strives to connect closer to our fans around the world through innovative collaborations and partnerships with like-minded brands, be it through toys, music, food and beverage or technology, etc. We're very pleased to announce the launch of BEYBLADES with TOMY which is a key milestone for us to expand our influence in Japan and the Asia-Pacific market, and we look forward to more exciting collaborations like this in future."
Furthermore, "BEYBLADE X official experience," which is available on "Roblox," a globally known metaverse platform, was upgraded to "BEYBLADE CITY on Roblox," an online battle game, in October 2024. It had reached more than 7.43 million visits- worldwide, with users from outside Japan making up about 90 percent of the total, as of October 2024.
Overview of the products
- BEYBLADE X "UX-00 STARTER DRANBUSTER 1-60A METAL COAT: BLUE FC BARCELONA Ver."
This product is a starter packaged together with a BEYBLADE "winder launcher."
Package image1: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI4fl_E02gnnA2.jpg
- BEYBLADE X "UX-00 BEY KICK OFF SET FC BARCELONA Ver."
Consisting of BEYBLADE, a winder launcher and a stadium, this product allows users to start playing BEYBLADE immediately.
Package image2: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI5fl_6c0Vzs1p.jpg
How BEYBLADES battle: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI6fl_3oI7992q.jpg
Release date: Saturday, January 25, 2025
Target age range: Age 6 years and up
Copyright notice:
(C) FC BARCELONA
(C) Homura Kawamoto, Hikaru Muno, Posuka Demizu, BBXProject, TV TOKYO
(C) TOMY
(*) About Asia Championship 2024
The Asia Championship, a tournament in which the winners of competitions held in 10 Asian countries and regions compete for the top Blader position, will be held on Sunday, December 1, 2024, as a venue for international exchange among Bladers.
Championship image: https://cdn.kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M000076/202410288933/_prw_PI7fl_vc4iNTMh.png
The championship will also be streamed live on BEYBLADE X's official YouTube channel, "BEYTUBE" ( https://www.youtube.com/@BEYBLADEOfficialYouTube ).
For further details, visit the "Championships & Events" page of TOMY Co.'s official website: https://beyblade.takaratomy.co.jp/beyblade-x/event/g2_asia2024.html
About "BEYBLADE"
"BEYBLADE" battling tops, debuted in 1999, are a modernized version of traditional Japanese battling tops known as "bei-goma." Over 520 million units have shipped cumulatively in more than 80 countries and regions around the world (as of April 2023). Each series has created a craze in many countries across the world including Japan. The fourth generation, BEYBLADE X started in July 2023 in Japan.
BEYBLADE X Official website:
https://beyblade.takaratomy.co.jp/ (Japan)
https://www.takaratomyasia.com/beybladex/index (Asia)
Company's official website: https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/english/