CookieRun opens first overseas pop-up store in New York City

CookieRun is turning its first overseas pop-up into a scarcity play, with exclusive merchandise, a New York-only Statue of Liberty Gingerbrave item, and limited in-store reward events set to run at LINE FRIENDS NY in Times Square from April 17 to April 26.

The pop-up will take over 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, and event listings describe it as free and open to the public. That makes the real value easy to measure: fans are not paying admission, but they are being given a short window to chase items and experiences that will not be available outside the store. Official materials say the event will include a photo booth, character greetings, a roulette-style mystery-box reward event, special signing events, and limited-edition gifts tied to spending thresholds.

The guest list gives the event more weight than a standard merch drop. Voice actors CJ Pawlikowski and Gabi Hankins-Manoukian are slated to appear, and the New York-exclusive Statue of Liberty Gingerbrave item gives the pop-up a location-specific hook that should matter to collectors. Devsisters and its event partners have also framed the store as part of a larger fan program, not a one-off retail stunt, with some activities running on limited schedules and in limited quantities.

The business case is just as clear. Pocket Gamer reported that US fans account for 65% of CookieRun merch purchases outside Korea, which helps explain why New York was chosen for the first overseas store. For Devsisters, the pop-up is a test of whether CookieRun can turn offline fan travel, exclusive goods, and live character appearances into repeatable revenue, not just more downloads. The choice of LINE FRIENDS NY strengthens that play, since the retailer already sits inside the character-merchandise ecosystem.

That strategy fits the company’s broader 2026 push around “Expansion” and “Evolution.” Devsisters has said it wants to grow CookieRun into a global super IP, backed by a multiverse that spans more than 500 characters and reaches beyond mobile into PC, console, and other platforms. The franchise has already crossed 300 million cumulative players across 248 countries and more than $1 billion in lifetime revenue, while CookieRun: Kingdom alone has topped 80 million players.

The offline push is not happening in isolation. Devsisters said the CookieRun Kingdom Fan Festival at KINTEX drew over 20,000 fans, and its Anime Impulse Los Angeles booth drew more than 10,000 global fans. That live-event appetite is now feeding into a bigger brand picture, especially with the KPop Demon Hunters x CookieRun: Kingdom collaboration already live through May 6 and adding new playable Cookies, story content, rewards, and themed costumes, music, and decor. Taken together, the New York pop-up looks less like a merch stop and more like proof that CookieRun is building itself into a lifestyle brand with real offline pull.