Wait, how did I miss that you can finally preorder Armored Core 6 model kits?

After months of waiting, Bandai Namco finally revealed its first model kits for Armored Core 6 at the end of March. The first run is set to launch this September, and includes fan-favorite NPC buddy Rusty's Steel Haze, enemy pilot Raven's Nightfall, and a weapons pack with the pulse blade, laser rifle, laser drone, and vertical plasma launcher.

I don't think I ever set a Google Alert for AC6 model kits, because the last time I tried that the search giant would just email me nonsense results instead of crucial intel on the US release of the Platypus Squishmallow Santino my partner required. Despite periodically checking back on the status of AC6's model kits, I missed the first showcase of the models in a Japanese language stream on March 20.

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Steel Haze in heroic pose — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

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Steel Haze parts breakdown — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

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Steel haze with Laser slicer action pose — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

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Steel haze with Sampo closeup — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

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Steel Haze in flying mode — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

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Steel Haze front and back view — (Image credit: Bandai Namco)

In the past, I had a little fun at the expense of AC6's $230 limited edition, which came with a mech, as well as the game's $450 limited-er edition with a mech and a hangar. What I failed to realize at the time was how much I would grow to covet plastic tchotchkes based on Armored Core. That wasn't just any little guy and his house in the limited editions, that was the original legendary mercenary Raven and their AC Nightfall, one third of the warrior hacktivist collective, Branch!

Thankfully, these new little guys are much more reasonably priced: $26 via HobbyLink Japan, or $15 more on the USA Gundam Store for reasons which elude me (perhaps the plummeting value of the yen). You better believe I've already secured my preorder of Steel Haze⁠—pilot Rusty is like the Solaire of Armored Core 6, if you need a frame of reference from FromSoft's other big series.

And really, these guys look like everything I've been craving out of AC6 figures, with detailed sculpts, slick paint jobs, and the eventual promise of being able to recreate your own AC from the game as more kits and weapon packs become available.

The kits are currently scheduled to release in September⁠—beyond that, it's unclear what the future rollout of AC6 model kits will look like. If you're wondering why I'm this jazzed about little plastic guys, it's because Armored Core 6 was our Best Action Game of 2024: AC6 delivered just the most exhilarating shooter combat with a twisty, surreal story that felt like it was taking notes from NieR, Evangelion, and Metal Gear Solid 5. Such a game simply demands little plastic guy representation on my desk.

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