HI-CHEW CREATES CANDY-FILLED GAMING EXPERIENCE WITH LIMITED TIME INTEGRATIONS IN FORTNITE

Three mini games will feature HI-CHEW-themed advantages for players

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HI-CHEW^®, the immensely fruity, intensely chewy candy, has announced an exciting and immersive integration with the hugely popular game Fortnite by Epic Games. HI-CHEW will be featured in various branded customizations throughout three popular mini-games: Hiding Game, Lucky Blocks and Troll Free For All. This collaboration, powered with the help of Super League (Nasdaq: SLE), a global leader in delivering immersive experiences across the world's largest metaverse platforms, marks the first time that HI-CHEW will be fully integrated into a gaming experience, offering gamers a unique and innovative way to immerse themselves in the HI-CHEW experience.

The HI-CHEW branded customizations are launching on October 12 and will be available to Fortnite users through November 7. From power up blocks and branded pushcarts to HI-CHEW hiding spots, players will find candy-filled surprises throughout these mini games to elevate their game play:

• Atlas Hiding Game: In this high-pressure version of hide and seek, the array of rooms and outside play areas feature HI-CHEW product packaging and signage. Gamers can even take cover inside larger-than-life HI-CHEW packages, enhancing their hiding skills and taking them to a whole new level of expertise.
• Pro Lucky Block: While players are spawned (restart the game with a new life) into the mini-game map searching for blocks to gather power-up items to battle other players, they will encounter HI-CHEW branded blocks. Players can unlock the HI-CHEW blocks to receive a new item to help elevate their game play. There are dozens of blocks around the island, and the colorful blocks complement HI-CHEW's variety of product packaging and flavors.
• Troll FFA (Free For All): In this mini game, players are encouraged to play against their friends to see who can "troll" or "outlast" all others without having to get spawned back in. Throughout the game, HI-CHEW's branded pushcarts will allow players to interact and unlock a new power-up that can help them stay in the game even longer. 

With Fortnite being at the forefront of gaming culture, this integration was a natural move for the brand to increase awareness amongst key consumer demographics and HI-CHEW brand fans. According to Fortnite, the game sees an average of 83 million active users per month, with an average of 1.5 hours of gameplay per day/per user, creating immense opportunity for brand visibility.

"With more than half of Fortnite's audience falling into the Gen Z demographic, this integration allows us to reach our target consumers in a more fun, engaging and meaningful way while they are consuming entertainment," said Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), Chief Representative for the USA & President, CEO of Morinaga America, Inc. "We're excited to be able to bring a unique in-game experience to further brand awareness and take part in this ever-growing gaming phenomenon."

This strategic partnership between HI-CHEW and Super League has paved the way for HI-CHEW to leave an indelible mark on the Fortnite landscape. Through this collaboration, influencers and players will encounter HI-CHEW in various immersive and memorable ways, strengthening the brand's presence within the gaming community. A testament to the brand's dedication to creating authentic and memorable connections with its audience, the collaboration between HI-CHEW and Super League puts the Fortnite community at the forefront, positioning HI-CHEW to leave a lasting impact in the gaming world.

Fortnite is developed by Epic Games, and offers a wide range of tools to empower anyone to design games and experiences. In Fortnite, anyone can build their own online experience for free and share it with Fortnite's audience around the world.

To learn more about HI-CHEW and to see where you can purchase your favorite products, please visit us online at HI-CHEW.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram (@HICHEWUSA) and TikTok (@HICHEWUSA).

*This is an independently created Fortnite experience and is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Epic Games, Inc.

About Morinaga America, Inc.:

Established in 2008, Morinaga America, Inc. is the official distributor of HI-CHEW^®, HI-SOFT™, and Chargel™ in the United States. Morinaga America, Inc. (marketing and sales) and Morinaga America Foods, Inc. (manufacturing) are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Morinaga & Co., Ltd., which began in 1899 as the first, modern candy maker and producer of chocolates in Japan. In 2015, Morinaga America, Inc. opened its first United States manufacturing facility in North Carolina. With over 200 flavors of HI-CHEW^® having debuted in Japan, Morinaga America, Inc. has introduced the United States market to the best of Japanese confectionery.

About HI-CHEW^®:

Choose Different. Choose Fun. Chew HI-CHEW^®. The history of Morinaga stretches back over a century when company founder Taichiro Morinaga brought his candy-making skills to Japan from America in the 1800s. HI-CHEW^® has long been the best-selling soft candy in Japan and continues to see year-over-year growth throughout other parts of Asia and in the United States. In the United States, HI-CHEW^® is currently offered in sticks, peg bags, and stand-up pouches. The HI-CHEW^® sticks come in a variety of flavors including Strawberry, Green Apple, Mango, Grape, Banana, Kiwi, Açaí, and Sweet & Sour Watermelon. HI-CHEW^® also offers peg bags in the following flavors: Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Superfruit Mix, Sweet & Sour Mix, Soda Pop Mix, Berry Mix, Plus Fruit, Fantasy Mix, and new Reduced Sugar. The Stand-Up Pouches are available in Original Mix, Tropical Mix, Sweet and Sour Mix, Fruit Combos, Infrusions Orchard Mix, and Fantasy Mix. The all-new HI-CHEW^® Bites are unwrapped in bite-size packaging in Mango, Green Apple, and Strawberry flavors. HI-CHEW^® is made with concentrated fruit juices and is free of gluten, with no colors from synthetic sources. HI-CHEW^® continues to expand fruity, chewy flavor offerings annually. In 2020, HI-CHEW^® won a Nielsen Design Impact Award for its new Original Mix packaging update that hit shelves in 2019. For more information, visit HI-CHEW.com.

About Super League

Super League (Nasdaq: SLE) is a leading strategically-integrated publisher and creator of games and experiences across the world's largest immersive digital platforms. From metaverse powerhouses such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite, to the most popular Web3 environments such as Sandbox and Decentraland, to bespoke worlds built using the most advanced 3D creation tools, Super League's innovative solutions provide incomparable access to massive audiences who gather in immersive digital spaces to socialize, play, explore, collaborate, shop, learn and create. As a true end-to-end activation partner for dozens of global brands, Super League offers a complete range of development, distribution, monetization and optimization capabilities designed to engage users through dynamic, energized programs. As an originator of new experiences fueled by a network of top developers, a comprehensive set of proprietary creator tools and a future-forward team of creative professionals, Super League accelerates IP and audience success within the fastest growing sector of the media industry. For more, go to superleague.com.

SOURCE HI-CHEW