Handheld hardware maker and game publisher Panic has retrieved $400k worth of Playdate devices after they were stolen from a misdelivered address.
It detailed the recent theft and subsequent recovery of a shipment of its crankable game-playing devices in a post on X/Twitter. The company says its Playdates went missing after FedEx mistakenly brought them to a construction site near its warehouse.
Images of the runaway batch show some of the Playdate-filled boxes that were taken. Thankfully, they were “hastily dumped at a random restaurant” for Panic to pick up.
“Did you hear the story about how $400k worth of Playdates were misdelivered by FedEx to a construction site near our warehouse?” Panic says in its post. “And then someone just… stole them? Seriously.”
Did you hear the story about how $400k worth of Playdates were misdelivered by FedEx to a construction site near our warehouse? And then someone just… stole them? Seriously.
— Playdate (@playdate) May 30, 2024
Well, guess what got hastily dumped at a random restaurant this morning?
Welcome back stolen Playdates! pic.twitter.com/LseJKp9sOO
Panic promised plans to share more about its stollen Playdates in the future, teasing “likely a very good Playdate Podcast episode” in a follow-up post. It’s unclear when more details will arrive, but the company says its time and detective work resulted in “our best possible outcome.”
It’s unclear how many Playdates made it back safely, as Panic suggests some of the hardware may have gone missing or been sold during its time away from home. Interestingly, when one X/Twitter follower asked how a massive misplacement like this could have happened, Panic replied, “Let’s just say we’re closing in.”
The FedEx executive office did reach out — because the story was going viral! — but I’m not sure about “accepting responsibility”. We’ll circle back with them with this latest news.
— Playdate (@playdate) May 31, 2024
Playdate is Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game publisher Panic’s pocket-sized video game device. Aside from its yellow color and its black-and-white screen, Playdate is known for the tiny crank that sits on its right side. Players use the crank not to charge the Playdate but to control and interact with exclusive titles like Time Travel Adventures, Lost Your Marbles, and Bloom.
Playdate launched in 2022 and managed to double its projected sales target in its first year. It received a price increase early last year while adding 11 new crankable games for players to enjoy.
You can see our list of the 10 best Playdate games of 2022. For more, you can read our 8/10 review, where we said, “A charming little handheld with a very specific audience, if you have any interest at all, the Playdate is almost certainly for you.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
