British toyco Toikido is putting Roblox first in its rollout plan for Piñata Smashlings, a new range of playthings and trading cards that combine the blind-bag trend with the birthday-party craze. 

Toikido has partnered with Ohio-based developer Supersocial to create a still-untitled Roblox game that will launch simultaneously in September 2023 with the first wave of products, which includes collectible figures, plush, play sets and Topps trading cards. Licensing agent Retail Monster is orchestrating a US retail rollout through Walmart and Target. 

The Piñata Smashlings IP is inspired by the popular paper-mache party game. Its branding, creative and product design are independent of the Roblox game and do not reflect the platform’s design, says Supersocial CEO Yonatan Raz-Fridman. 

The studio is communicating with Roblox throughout development to ensure it avoids facing legal action. In August, Roblox filed a lawsuit against Hong Kong-based toyco WowWee, who allegedly violated the platform’s terms of service with its My Avastars fashion dolls.

Toikido’s game-first approach is part of a strategy to build a more authentic fanbase for the brand, says founder and CEO Darran Garnham. 

“[Piñata Smashlings] is going to be the first IP truly grown from the Roblox platform to launch global consumer products and other forms of media,” explains Garnham. “We’re not trying to shoehorn a current toy onto the platform for marketing purposes, or chasing something that has already been successful.”

Supersocial’s goal with the game is to create an interactive social experience for kids ages eight to 14 that complements the physical toys and helps the audience establish a stronger connection with the brand, says Raz-Fridman.

“We have seen virtual worlds moving from just being ‘video games,’ to becoming places where kids can be creative and interact with friends,”  he explains. “We now live in a world where millions (and potentially billions) of young people under the age of 18 spend a considerable amount of time [in Roblox] because that’s where they play, communicate and socialize with others.”

The partners will announce more gameplay details and how the toy line will interconnect with the online experience closer to launch.

Since Raz-Fridman founded Supersocial in 2020, the company has published several original titles on Roblox, including first-person action game Pirates vs. Ninjas and horror-themed RPG Ghostopia. The studio’s first branded experience with French beauty brand NARS Cosmetics, NARS Color Quest, has racked up more than 34.5 million plays since its launch on the platform this July.