Listen up, maggots! The mighty Sgt. Slaughter is returning to active duty to train the next generation of G.I. Joe troops!
Sarge dropped in on the latest Hasbro Pulse live stream to make it official, stating that he’d been called back into action by Joe Command. The return of the WWE legend to the ranks of G.I. Joe will bring the icon back into toy aisles as part of the G.I. Joe Classified Series of 6-inch action figures. More details will be revealed at a later date.
On the stream, Emily, Lenny, and Tony from Hasbro‘s G.I. Joe team offered an update on the supply chain crisis that is still having a major impact on the delivery of all consumer goods, not just collectibles. One major point to note is that Hasbro did call out some of its retail partners for breaking street date and placing “one random case of figures” on the pegs before ample inventory had arrived. The intention of Hasbro with its street dates is to allow for the required inventory quantities to hit mass and specialty retail (including digital retailers) at the same time, to ensure a successful wave launch for new figures. The broken street dates sometimes result in figures being found “in the wild” before online preorders have shipped.
This week’s presentation featured new character debuts that will arrive in the months ahead along with a fresh wave of preorders for characters that were previously shown as pipeline reveals. Hasbro says that it’s looking to involve its fans earlier in the design and production process to see the development of new products many months before they will become available to purchase or preorder.
Character Reveals Classified Series
- Snake Eyes and Timber: An updated version in Renegades Resolute style with gray details to contrast against the black suit. Timber now has a more cool gray color scheme with subtle gradients.
- Tiger Force Duke with Ram Cycle: An updated figure with an all-new, orange paint scheme on the bike.
- Blue Ninjas Troop Builder 2-Pack: Updated from the Red Ninjas and includes bonus masks.
Classified Series Retro Collection (Walmart Exclusive)
- Zartan: Updated with ’80s-style Sunbow cartoon coloring. Presented on a retro-inspired, oversized cardback.
- Storm Shadow: Updated hands with wrapped forearms like he had in the cartoon and updated paint apps.
New Classified Series Preorders:
- Tiger Force Bazooka (Target Exclusive + Hasbro Pulse)
- Tiger Force Recondo (Target Exclusive + Hasbro Pulse)
- Python Patrol Cobra Officer (Target Exclusive + Hasbro Pulse)
- Zarana (all retailers)
- Dusty (all retailers)
- Crimson Guard (all retailers)
Additionally, the G.I. Joe team hints that a big Yo Joe! June celebration is on the way.
While price increases and Hasbro’s move to plastic-free packaging are of major concern to collectors, neither issue came up during the G.I. Joe presentation. All new preorders for this week are priced at $24.99 each.
Now you know, and knowing is half the battle! Those who want a closer look at today’s reveals can check out the full livestream below.
