Funko Pops May Die Out In 2026

Funko reports that they may not survive through the next year. According to a report by TheGamer, the company expressed concern over low sales due to tariffs and the current state of the retail environment.

The company made so many Funko Pops since 2011, that $30 million worth of figurines were at risk of ending up in a landfill in 2023. According to NPR, the figurines were worth less than the cost of storing them. 

What’s Going On?

Funko currently has $215 million in debt, and the company had a net loss of $68.1 million over the past nine months. In an SEC financial filing, the company reported that there was “substantial doubt about [its] ability to continue” operating, anticipating that its “cash flow may be insufficient to support working capital needs within the next 12 months.”

The company has been seeking ways to fix its financial situation. Considerations include seeking additional financing, focusing on smaller toy-lines such as Bitty Pops and the blind boxes, as well as potentially selling off the company.

What are Funko Pops?

Funko Pops are vinyl figurines that are miniature versions of various characters in pop culture. There are Funkos of well-known characters like Spider-Man to classic characters like Fred Sanford from the show Sanford and Son. Funko Pops are often criticized for their appearance and their prevalence in stores selling pop culture items. 

Compared to more expensive figurines such as Good Smile’s Nendoroids or the very detailed figurines by Kotobukiya, Funko Pops are often more affordable, depending on the figure’s rarity or its variant. 

Reactions

On Reddit, news of Funko’s demise was a long time coming. One person commented on r/anticonsumption, “They’ve had like a 10 year run as a hot commodity item. They’ve surpassed the lifetime of other toy trends several times over. I’m surprised it lasted this long tbh. If they scaled down they’d probably still be moderately successful, just can’t fill an entire store full of these anymore.”

Another person commented, taking a jab at gaming retailer GameStop, “Oh no! Gamestop might have to go back to selling games!” Lately, GameStop’s stock fell to a 52-week low despite increased revenue and a viral tweet declaring the console wars over. This came after Microsoft announced a remake to Halo: Combat Evolved, titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, which will come out in 2026 for Xbox, PC and PlayStation.

Opinion

The likely demise of Funko Pops has been a long time coming, for some. For others, it’s an unfortunate addition to the number of companies shutting down, which leads to job loss and high unemployment. 

As for me, I’m upset that the Sailor Saturn Funko Pop costs around $50 on Amazon. The Sailor Moon Funko Pops don’t appear on the Funko site.