Activision releases new expansion packs for Skylanders Trap Team

Activision Publishing has generated more than $2 billion in revenue from its Skylanders franchise, and it wants to keep that going. So today it is unveiling two expansion packs with new features that will enhance the experience of the toy-game hybrid franchise for kids.

Activision is releasing two new “elements,” Light and Dark, into the world of the Skylands game world. The new expansions are a way for kids to deepen their enjoyment of Skylanders, and they’re a good way for Activision to keep raking in revenues from the popular franchise. The elements are plastic toy devices that can be used to store character data from playing with certain characters in the video game.

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Two new Trap Masters, Knight Mare and Knight Light, will hit store shelves during the holidays via a choice of a Light Element Expansion Pack or a Dark Element Expansion Pack. The new Trap Masters will be included in new special Elemental Zones, while villains can now be accessed and captured in each new Element. Each Trap Master has a special Trap capable of capturing either Light or Dark villains, as well as a location piece that unlocks a special level in the game. The expansion packs will sell for $30.  The Light Element Expansion Pack goes on sale in Toys ‘R Us stores on Dec. 21.

Meanwhile, Portal Masters will be able to explore new levels within the Skylanders Trap Team universe. Among the villains are Luminous and Nightshade, who belong to the Doom Raiders — the elite members of Kaos’ army of Skylands’ most notorious bad guys.

“It’s amazing to see how deeply engrossed and fascinated our fans have been with the lore of the Skylanders franchise,” said John Coyne, vice president of consumer marketing at Activision Publishing, in a statement. “By unveiling new Light and Dark elements and heroes to the Skylanders universe, our fans around the world will have new ways of exploring all the magic, excitement, and fun of Skylands.”

There are more than 175 unique toys available in the Skylanders universe, and kids are paying a lot of money to own them all.

Skylanders is available on just about every mobile, console, and portable game platform. The company has sold more than $2 billion worth of toys and games since the franchise debuted in 2011.