The Piplup Build-A-Bear release date has been confirmed just days after leaks suggested the Gen IV Water starter Pokemon was set to join the Pokemon Build-A-Bear partnership. Those who thought a Piplup Build-A-Bear release date could wait until the holidays might need to hop on over to a device with a bit more speed and accuracy, as the Piplup Build-A-Bear release date happens to be… today, October 25.
Leaked through what appeared to be a poster or catalog page by Paul “PokeShopper” Ryan on Twitter after a two-month hiatus from the website, it appears the product page only slipped out a few days before it’s planned release date, with online orders for the new critter going live early this morning.
What the leak didn’t reveal, however, was the existence of an additional costume for the Gen IV Pokemon, who arrived as a catchable critter in Pokemon Go earlier this month.
The penguin Pokemon was originally showcased in what is now officially known as the Poke Ball Parka coat, but buyers will have the option of picking up the extra Dive Ball Hoodie for not-so-rainy days. It appears as if the Dive Ball Hoodie is an online-exclusive item, meaning you won’t be able to buy the outfit separately in-store and can only pick it up through the costly online bundle.
As ever, the new Piplup Build-A-Bear plush comes with a exclusive Piplup Build-A-Bear Pokemon TCG card. For those ordering online, there’s currently 25% off every past Pokemon bundle, so those late to the collection might want to use the opportunity to catch up.
Not limited to online orders, however, is the Piplup Build-A-Bear plush itself. Today’s Piplup Build-A-Bear release date applies to in-store sales, too, meaning you’ll be able to pick up and create the new plush in-store. Expect everything but the Dive Ball Hoodie to be add-on options while you’re there.
A Piplup Build-A-Bear plush toy could be making its way to stores soon, suggests a recent leak. The addition of the Pokemon Gen 4 Water starter would make it the eight Build-A-Bear Pokemon plush to be made available since the franchise’s 20th-anniversary event brought series mascot Pikachu to stores back in 2016.
The leak was made by Twitter user PokeshopperVGC, better known as Paul Ryan, shortly after returning from a two-month hiatus from the site. The leak, posted to his Twitter timeline on October 21, shows what appears to be a photograph of a potential Build-A-Bear poster or product catalog showing the new Piplup Build-A-Bear plush toy between the currently available Pikachu and Eevee stuffed toys, with a name beside a checkbox confirming the Pokemon’s identity. How the leak happened or where the photograph originated from wasn’t made clear.
Piplup Pokémon bear to release at Build-A-Bear workshop pic.twitter.com/pZcV7RVcVK
— Paul Ryan (@PokeshopperVGC) October 22, 2018
A Piplup Build-A-Bear plush release date isn’t mentioned in the leak, but it should be safe to assume the new toy will arrive in time for Christmas. Judging by the photograph, Piplup should arrive as a Christmas addition to the current Pokemon Build-A-Bear range, with both Eevee and Pikachu potentially getting new Christmas-themed clothing accessories at the same time.
The reveal of a Piplup Build-A-Bear plush toy could coincide well with the release of the creature in Pokemon Go earlier this month, bringing the 12-year old creature in front of more eyes than was previously possible during its original reveal within the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Nintendo DS games back in 2006.
Piplup has proven popular in places like Japan, where a recently released Piplup plush toy sold out in under five hours. It’s addition to the Build-A-Bear line-up would signal a two-generational gap between starter Pokemon released by the company, with Gen 2 and 3 starters like Chikorita and Torchic failing to materialize.
