Ubisoft announces Toy Soldiers: War Chest, teddy bears to shoot death rainbows

The first two games in the Toy Soldiers series—which developer Signal Studios recently re-released as a bundle on Steam Early Access—are well-liked action/tower defense hybrids, but remain best-known for their XBLA success.

on Steam Early Access—are well-liked action/tower defense hybrids, but remain best-known for their XBLA success. Being published by Microsoft Game Studios will have that effect. For its next game, Signal has found a new home—Ubisoft will publish Toy Soldiers: War Chest, and it'll be a little different.

Aside from coming to more platforms, War Chest won't stick to a single war theme. The gritty Kaiser is still around with his WWI artillery and European dioramas, but the second announced hero, Starbright, is the polar opposite. She's a glittery, "whimsical but dangerous heroine" who commands flying pixies and teddy bears who shoot rainbows out of their chests.

There are two other yet-to-be-announced heroes, and War Chest will also include "more turrets and turret upgrades, more barrages, new game modes and expanded multiplayer and cooperative play," according to Ubisoft. More screens below, and more to come later this week, when we'll have hands-on impressions. Toy Soldiers: War Chest will release next year.

Disclosure amendment: At the time I wrote this article, I was in a relationship with an employee of Ubisoft.