Skylanders SWAP Force Brings Big Change to the Franchise

Hang on to your wallets, folks, because Skylanders SWAP Force is coming.

We reported that the Skylanders franchise would soon be expanding, but now we've got details about one of the four new titles. Skylanders SWAP Force mixes up the current formula by introducing the ability to swap top and bottom halves of action figures.

By being able to swap out parts, players can customize their own heroes. Portal Masters can take the 16 SWAP Force heroes and slap them together into more than 250 combinations, each with their own set of moves and powers. This type of customization means that you can craft the Skylander of your dreams.

Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, said, "The idea that kids can customize their own characters in the physical world, and have their unique combinations recognized in the virtual world, is an idea as big as the concept of bringing toys to life itself."

The story of SWAP Force centers around a volcano on the Cloudbreak Islands that erupts with magic every hundred years. An unlucky (or perhaps they are lucky?), group of Skylanders gets caught in an eruption and are given the ability to swap their top and bottom halves. What ensues is great customization and marketing magic.

The SWAP Force line will be shown off at Toy Fair 2013 in New York City. The event will run from February 10th, 2013 to February 13th, 2013.

No specific release dates or platforms were announced, but if past Skylanders titles are any indication, we'll see them across all available consoles.

Let us know what you think about these new swappable heroes in the comments!