Limited edition Skylanders toys will raise awareness for autism

Activision has teamed up with charity Autism Speaks to release a number of limited edition Skylanders Superchargers toys designed to raise awareness of the condition.

The blue and white miniatures will carry the ‘Light it up Blue’ branding that will be seen throughout April’s Autism Awareness Month. Four will be released in total, each sporting the campaign’s brand colours. There will be two characters, Splay and Trigger Happy, along with two vehicles, Splatter Splasher and Gold Rusher.

Activision is also kicking off an employee awareness program and donating to non-profit autism organisations.

It is estimated that 70m people are affected by autism worldwide,” Autism Speaks’ VP or corporate development Peter Morton said. We’re proud to work with Skylanders, an iconic franchise that’s known for bringing joy and magic to kids and families.

This year’s Light it up Blue campaign for World Autism Awareness Day marks our first alliance with a videogame and toy, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

Skylanders product manager Josh Taub added: Since the debut of the franchise, we’ve heard from parents that Skylanders plays a special role in the lives of their kids on the autism spectrum. The entire Skylanders team was deeply committed and proud to bring these special toys to life. If they can put a smile on a child’s face, then we know we’ve done our job right.”

The figures will be released in the UK on March 18th.