Amiibo-Like NFC Minecraft Toys Coming Later This Year

Minecraft has been a cultural phenomenon for over a decade now, and the augmented reality version Minecraft Earth is getting a line of adorable NFC figures from Mattel. Revealed at Toy Fair, the figures, called Minecraft Earth Boost Minis, can be scanned in Minecraft Earth to unlock "Boosts," hence the name. Boosts unlock "a unique enhancement for a limited time" for Minecraft Earth Players, such as "increased tappable radius, decrease crafting time, XP increase, and increased health/attack damage/defense," among others. There are three different boost levels: level 1 lasts 15 minutes, level 2 last 20, and level 3 last 25 minutes. Also, just activating a Boost from a Minecraft Boost Mini unlocks in-game XP. Minecraft’s GM of Licensing & Partnerships Kayleen Walter calls them "simple and intuitive," and "just one example of how Minecraft Earth and Mattel are providing innovative Minecraft experiences." The Minecraft Boost Minis will be available for purchase directly from Mattel, with a second-quarter 2020 release window. Toy Fair is in full-effect this week, with tons of awesome announcements like a new 6" GI Joe line from Hasbro, as well as tons of Baby Yoda merch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is IGN's tech and commerce editor and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.