Activision has unveiled the newest incarnation of its mega-popular Skylanders franchise: "Skylanders Swapforce." The game and accompanying toy range are scheduled to hit retail shelves this fall.

"Since the launch of 'Skylanders Spyro's Adventure' in 2011, we've seen enormous interest in the Skylanders property on a global scale, and we now have more than 125 licensees worldwide in categories including publishing, apparel, back-to-school, construction sets, plush, board games, costumes, party goods and bedding, among others," says Ashley Maidy, head of global licensing and partnerships, Activision. "From the start, our strategy has been to develop a merchandising program that can grow with the franchise. We've brought on category leaders and have carefully orchestrated the roll out of products, giving our fans multiple touch points in complementary product categories and allowing them to further immerse themselves into the franchise."

Activision officially unveiled “Skylanders Swapforce” Tuesday with a sneak peek event at NASDAQ in New York City and a giveaway event at the Toys ‘R’ Us flagship in Times Square. For more about the TRU promotion, click here.

For "Skylanders Swapforce," consumers can only expect to see the program swell.

The innovative gaming concept, which combines physical toys with console-based video games, is taking it a step further in its latest iteration.

The new collectible range features 16 new characters with interchangeable parts, providing gamers more than 250 combinations to activate within the video game.

The Skylanders video games are developed in conjunction with Vicarious Visions. Activision is publisher and manufacturer of the physical toys.