Finally!
Disney Infinity fans have been starving for any morsel of information about the third iteration of the game, particularly given that Disney Infinity 2.0 was teased around this time last year. Frustratingly, Avalanche Software and Disney Interactive have maintained a maddening silence on the subject.
We have to assume that the developer is planning to make a huge splash with the announcement.
But somebody forgot to tell that to Chinese retailer Taobao, which (accidentally?) leaked images and details from Disney Infinity 3.0. The images were spotted and re-posted by sharp-eyed fans at DisneyInfinityFans.com and InfinityInquirer.com, both of which have already removed said images at Disney's request.
Which is no different than Disney officially confirming the images' validity. At the time of this writing, these websites have copies of the leaked images posted, but Disney's bloodhounds are on the hunt, so they could disappear at any time.
So here's what we've learned from them.
Disney Infinity 3.0 is expected to be anchored by one or more Star Wars-themed playsets, just as 2.0 centered primarily around Marvel characters. Taobao didn't post any images or details about the Star Wars figures and sets, so we can't say officially that it's happening.
But it's happening.
As in 2.0, a selection of "Disney Originals" figurines will be also available to purchase, and one of the images reveals a complete lineup of them. They are:
• Classic Mickey
• Classic Minnie
• Mulan
• Olaf
• Sam Flynn
• Quorra
• Joy
• Anger
• Disgust
• Fear
• Sadness
Now, a few notes...
Those last five names on the list are the main characters from Pixar's Inside Out, which will arrive in theaters several months before Disney Infinity 3.0 is likely to go on sale. Might there be an Inside Out playset? Pixar fans will be mighty disappointed if not.
Sam Flynn and Quorra are the two main characters from Tron: Legacy, both of whom are expected to return for a big-screen sequel that was recently announced. Sam and Quorra were previously available as digital exclusives for the iPad version of Disney Infinity 2.0.
Mulan and Olaf are known to be two of the most-requested characters, so just as in the last game, these figures are a direct response from Avalanche to its fans. (We can't wait to see what Olaf can do.)
Mickey Mouse has previously been available in the game in his "Sorcerer's Apprentice" guise, along with a special "Crystal" edition of the same. 2.0 added Donald Duck as a playmate for Mickey, and now it looks like Minnie is joining them as well. (Goofy, Daisy and Pluto will have to wait.) The inclusion of "Classic Mickey" represents the first time a character has returned for a second figurine.
As for the rest of the lineup... It will either be entirely Star Wars-related, or a mixture of mostly Star Wars and a handful of Marvel additions. If that's the case, you can expect to see figures for Avengers: Age of Ultron's Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Vision and Ultron, and very possibly an Ant-Man figurine, too. (Disney loves its corporate synergy.)
The Star Wars lineup is anybody's guess, but Avalanche would be insane not to include the most popular legacy characters like Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, Yoda, Obi-Wan, Vader, and so on. The real question is whether newer characters from Star Wars Rebels or The Force Awakens might be included. (We're guessing the prequels won't get any love; Disney seems keen to forget they ever existed.) If Awakens gets a playset and/or figures, you can bet it won't be released until sometime in 2016, well after the movie's debut.
One last thing. If you take a good look at the packaging glimpsed in those leaked images, be sure to zoom in on the black-and-purple background. What do you see?
Stars.
With this genie firmly escaped from the bottle, expect Disney Interactive to make a formal announcement soon.
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