Unsure how to handle the Gryphon Hatchling and Wind Rider Cub plushies from World of Warcraft that arrived at my house for review today, I hugged them. The verdict? Snuggable goodness.
These two dangerously adorable little critters are the first shots fired in Blizzard's bid for complete and total MMO plushie domination. For such small shots they hit pretty hard, charming you the moment their heads crest the rim of the Horde and Alliance-flagged sacks they arrive in. From there the cuteness overload continues to build, as you reveal their smiling faces, cute little paws, faction banner shields, and tails of varying degrees of fluffiness.
At 22cm tall, the Gryphon Hatchling and Wind Rider Cub aren't quite an armful for a tall, broad man like me, but one in each arm works like a charm, delivering quality snuggles while inadvertently making me a poet.
Why would World of Warcraft fans want a pair of stuffed animals, aside from the obvious reasons? Perhaps the fact that each comes with a code for an in-game Gryphon Hatchling or Wind Rider Cub, which will follow you around whether you're on the land or in the air, is enough of a reason.
Oh who am I kidding? They'll sell like virtual hotcakes once they go on sale on February 22nd.
Check out more pics of the terribly adorable twosome in action below, along with a few shots of their in-game counterparts.