I heard a rumor. Well, more like I got a press release, but you know what I mean. It's been a big year for The Umbrella Academy. From new comics to a successful Netflix adaptation, you had to wonder what was next for the Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba story. I'm not sure that today's news would have been your first guess.
Dark Horse Comics has announced that they will be partnering with Studio 71 to develop The Umbrella Academy card game. There will be a Kickstarter that is expected to launch some time in 2020. There's a bit of irony here, if you want to see it. Earlier this week we found out that Magic: The Gathering would be getting an anime adaptation on Netflix. So they went from one of the most successful card games ever to a Netflix adaptation. Now here's The Umbrella Academy doing the same thing, just in reverse. Totally unrelated, I know, but hopefully that creates some good vibes for both.
If you're not familiar with Studio 71, the global media company creates all kinds of original contest across multiple platforms. They recently showed off some cards for their Binding of Isaac: Four Souls from indie game designer Edmund McMillan. They have also had success on Kickstarter before, just look at Joking Hazard. Dan Weinstein, President and Co-Founder, Studio71, said in today's press release, "We are incredibly excited to partner with Dark Horse Comics, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá to bring The Umbrella Academy card game to fans next year. We’ve all been ardent consumers of the comic book series for years and are looking forward to launching the game. At Studio71 Games, we are passionate about building brands with long tail through a combination of premium expansion products as well as fan engagement across platforms, proprietary data analytics and out-of-the-box marketing."
“We’re thrilled to be working with Studio71 on a The Umbrella Academy card game,” said Nick McWhorter, Chief Business Development Officer at Dark Horse Comics. “Studio71’s previous success with game design, blockbuster Kickstarter campaigns and strong retail relationships make them an ideal partner for us.” This really does seems like a great next step in The Umbrella Academy franchise. Plus, card and tabletop gaming are some of the biggest (if not the biggest) projects on Kickstarter.
How excited are you for this new game?