Skylanders Swap Force, the latest installment to Activision’s US$1.5 billion gaming franchise, is making its long-anticipated debut next week and Toys ‘R’ Us is marking the occasion with a selection of exclusive merchandise and branded events.

The follow-up to Activision Publishing Skylanders Giants and Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure gaming experiences, announced back in February, is launching October 13. The SWAP Force video game combines the franchise’s signature gameplay and collectible toy experience with new ‘swappable’ play patterns, where kids can swap the top and bottom halves of Skylanders figures to create 250 different characters.

Toys ‘R’ Us will be the source for two limited edition Legendary Series set of toys, which includes alternative versions of new SWAP Force characters, such as Free Ranger and Night Shift, both of which feature enhanced in-game powers and are available for pre-order now at Toysrus.com/SkylandersSWAPForce.

Toys ‘R’ Us is fully aware of Skylander’s retail potential – the game, for one, made its way to Toys ‘R’ Us’ annual Fabulous 15 holiday toy list last month. The retailer is hosting a month-long campaign, entitled SWAPtober, to mark the launch of the video game and is hosting a festival in New York’s Times Square this Thursday and throughout the weekend.