Masters of the Universe Coming to the Tabletop from CMON Limited

Masters of the Universe Coming to the Tabletop from CMON Limited
Board Game Publisher: CMON Global Limited
I thought that every IP from the 1980s had resurfaced in board game form by this point, but I had overlooked one franchise that was ripe for the relaunching: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

In August 2019, Netflix announced that director Kevin Smith (Mallrats, Chasing Amy) would lead the creation of a new animated series titled Masters of the Universe: Revelation that would debut in late 2020, and in February 2020 Netflix announced the line-up of actors who would voice characters in the new series:


Now in late May 2020, CMON Limited announced "a licensing agreement with Mattel to create and publish Masters of the Universe: The Board Game in North America, South America and throughout Asia", with the announcement being long on background material and cringey marketing speak and short on game details:
Quote:
Michael Shinall, CMON's Design and Development Manager, and Developer Leo Almeida, veteran game-makers who have had a hand in designing and developing hit games like Bloodborne: The Board Game and A Song of Ice and Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game are taking the designing reigns on Masters of the Universe: The Board Game. They are developing a new game system that will take advantage of the iconic setting and universe as well as bring in many of the setting's most beloved characters. The game will feature highly-detailed miniature figures of these characters, giving both gamers and collectors a thrill.

When asked about creating a game based on the groundbreaking toy line, Michael Shinall said, "Masters was a part of most of our childhoods. People of a certain age know all about it. Simply saying, 'I have the Power' is automatically said in one's mind a certain way because of it. Now, this game will bring an entirely new generation to Eternia and its many characters. Parents will be able to pass down their love for He-Man to their children, and that's amazing."

From gallery of W Eric Martin
Netflix promotional image

Since its inception in 1982, Masters of the Universe has been a cultural phenomenon transcending generations and igniting "the power" amongst fans around the world. Now, after more than 30 years, Mattel is bringing Masters of the Universe back and is setting out to create a global evergreen franchise with multiple content access points expanding the story and characters within the vast universe.

"As Mattel looks to unlock the power of its IP, partnering with CMON is the latest step to bring back one of the company's most famous contributions to pop-culture — He-Man, Skeletor, and the Power of Grayskull from Masters of the Universe," said Janet Hsu, Chief Franchise Officer, Mattel. "This new game system will be sure to introduce fans to the most iconic characters through a fresh interpretation of Eternia as it has never been seen before."
CMON will launch Masters of the Universe: The Board Game on Kickstarter in 2021.

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