Pudgy Penguins, a highly popular NFT collection, has revealed a significant development today: its brand-new line of Pudgy Toys will be available in 2,000 Walmart stores across the United States.
Each of these toys includes a unique code that grants access to Pudgy World, a multiplayer game hosted on zkSync Era’s layer-2 blockchain. In this game, players have the opportunity to personalize their penguin avatars, marking an effort to bridge the realms of physical and digital play.
This partnership signifies a noteworthy achievement for Pudgy Penguins, a company that emerged during the recent surge in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology. Since its launch in 2021, the company has recorded over $400 million in sales of its digital collectibles.
Pudgy Penguins emphasizes that its toys employ a blend of social media and blockchain technology to deliver an innovative brand experience. Notably, NFT holders who possess the digital art upon which the toy designs are based will receive royalties from the sales of these toys.
“Pudgy Penguins is at the forefront of transforming the toy industry, merging unique digital experiences with blockchain technology,” said Pudgy Penguins CEO Luca Netz in a statement.
“Pudgy Penguins is bridging the gap between our physical and digital worlds of play for kids in a really engaging way,” said Brittany Smith, vice president of merchandising – toys, Walmart U.S.
On this day, Web3 enters a Brave New World.
Pudgy Toys, with Pudgy World, are now available in 2,000 Walmarts in the USA. pic.twitter.com/UP8npUxCr3
— Pudgy Penguins (@pudgypenguins) September 26, 2023
While the floor price showed a sharp fall following the announcement, it doesn’t shy away from the fact that an NFT project putting out physical products and landing into thousands of stores in the offline space is commendable and shows how this could become one of the largest IP plays by a Web3 brand.
