# STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – NOVEMBER 2025

**Source:** Stern Pinball Website Newsfeed  
**Type:** article  
**Published:** 2025-11-11  
**Beat:** Pinball

**URL:** https://sternpinball.com/2025/11/11/stern-of-the-union-address-november-2025/

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## Analysis

Stern Pinball's November 2025 monthly newsletter announces The Walking Dead Remastered as a technologically advanced remake, updates on Star Wars: Fall of the Empire code and rules, Elvira's House of Horrors entering the vault for minimum two years, and expanded Insider Connected features including home leaderboards and shipping discounts. The newsletter also highlights Stern Army growth, Stern Pro Circuit tournament results, and new merchandise offerings.

### Key Claims

- [HIGH] The Walking Dead Remastered is a technologically advanced version of the original game coming soon with pre-order availability before location rollout — _Official Stern newsletter announcement_
- [HIGH] Elvira's House of Horrors has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years with no guarantee of return — _Official Stern Vault Program announcement_
- [HIGH] Arvid Flygare from Sweden won his first Stern Pro Circuit victory at Pinball Expo Flip Out tournament — _Stern Pro Circuit tournament results_
- [HIGH] King Kong: Myth of Terror Island Pro and Premium models have been added to the IFPA Stern Rewards Program — _Official program announcement_
- [HIGH] Insider Connected All-Access membership now includes home leaderboards, free/discounted shipping, elite Gold status display, and Gameroom PRO tech features — _Official feature announcement_

### Notable Quotes

> "There's a Horde coming with a technologically advanced version of one of the most beloved pinball games of all time… The Walking Dead Remastered!"
> — **Stern Pinball**, n/a
> _First official announcement of Walking Dead Remastered; teases imminent reveal_

> "As part of the Stern Vault Program, Elvira's House of Horrors has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning."
> — **Stern Pinball**, n/a
> _Confirms Elvira vault status and supply constraint; creates urgency for remaining inventory_

> "These games are almost completely sold out, so contact for availability before it's too late!"
> — **Stern Pinball**, n/a
> _Signals scarcity of Elvira machines and FOMO marketing strategy_

> "Be the Challenge, Play the Challenge!"
> — **Stern Pinball**, n/a
> _Beat That Score community challenge initiative_

### Entities

| Name | Type | Context |
|------|------|---------|
| The Walking Dead Remastered | game | Technologically advanced remake of original Walking Dead pinball game; announced for pre-order and location rollout |
| Star Wars: Fall of the Empire | game | Stern pinball machine with new code updates and official rulesheets available; active streaming community engagement |
| Elvira's House of Horrors | game | Stern pinball entering vault program for minimum two years; almost completely sold out; no guarantee of return |
| King Kong: Myth of Terror Island | game | Stern pinball with accessories available; Pro and Premium models added to IFPA Stern Rewards Program |
| Stern Pinball | company | Major pinball manufacturer announcing products, programs, and community initiatives |
| Insider Connected | product | Stern's digital ecosystem with new All-Access membership tier; features home leaderboards, shipping discounts, Gold status, Gameroom PRO analytics |
| Stern Army | organization | Community program expanding globally; locations receive first priority shipment of new Stern games and support for tournaments/events |
| Stern Pro Circuit | event | Official Stern competitive tournament series with championship events and IFPA partnership |
| Arvid Flygare | person | Professional pinball player from Sweden; won first Stern Pro Circuit victory at Pinball Expo Flip Out tournament |
| International Flipper Pinball Association | organization | Partners with Stern on Stern Rewards Program, Stern Pro Circuit Championship, and IFPA player qualifications |
| Pinball Expo 2025 | event | Major pinball community gathering where Stern showcased games and connected with players |
| Intersect Brewing | company | Location of the Month winner from Fort Collins, Colorado; Stern Army affiliated venue |
| Verena Zorn | person | Gameroom of the Month winner for home pinball setup |
| Mountain Dew | company | Partner/presenter of Stern Pro Circuit Championship |
| Enterrium | company | Partner presenter of Stern Pro Circuit Championship with IFPA |

### Topics

- **Primary:** Product Announcements, Walking Dead Remaster, Vault Program Strategy, Insider Connected Platform Expansion
- **Secondary:** Stern Pro Circuit & Tournament Results, Stern Army Community Growth, IFPA Partnership & Rewards
- **Mentioned:** Code Updates & Software Support

### Sentiment

**Positive** (0.82) — Newsletter maintains upbeat, celebratory tone announcing new products, community achievements, and platform expansions. Marketing language emphasizes scarcity (Elvira vault, 'almost completely sold out') and FOMO while highlighting community engagement and player recognition programs. No negative commentary or concerns expressed.

### Signals

- **[business_signal]** Stern Army program expanding globally with emphasis on first-priority shipment of new games to Launch Party locations; indicates growth strategy focused on location operator partnerships (confidence: high) — Stern Army announcement: 'The Stern Army continues to grow with troops spreading the gospel of pinball across the globe. Stern Army locations receive first priority shipment of new Stern games'
- **[community_signal]** Stern expanding community engagement initiatives including Beat That Score challenges, Gameroom of the Month features, Location of the Month recognition, and Stern Army first-access shipment priority (confidence: high) — Multiple community program announcements: Beat That Score challenge, Gameroom/Location of Month contests, Stern Army first priority shipments for Launch Parties
- **[community_signal]** Stern providing continuous code update infrastructure, bug reporting channels, mailing list enrollment, and online support portal; demonstrates commitment to post-launch game maintenance (confidence: high) — Status of Code section provides multiple contact channels: Code.Updates@sternpinball.com, bug.report@sternpinball.com, centralized code update portal
- **[competitive_signal]** Arvid Flygare from Sweden wins first Stern Pro Circuit victory at Pinball Expo; Stern Pro Circuit Championship occurred with Mountain Dew partnership (confidence: high) — Tournament results: 'Arvid Flygare outlasted the competition for his first circuit victory!'
- **[market_signal]** IFPA Stern Rewards Program expanded to include King Kong: Myth of Terror Island Pro and Premium models; indicates manufacturer confidence in King Kong tiers for collector/tournament player segment (confidence: high) — IFPA announcement: 'Stern has added King Kong: Myth of Terror Island Pro and Premium to the rewards program!'
- **[announcement]** The Walking Dead Remastered officially announced as technologically advanced remake; pre-order availability coming before location rollout (confidence: high) — Official newsletter announcement: 'There's a Horde coming with a technologically advanced version of one of the most beloved pinball games of all time… The Walking Dead Remastered!'
- **[product_strategy]** Star Wars: Fall of the Empire receiving ongoing code updates with new gameplay streams and official rulesheet (v4) available; indicates active post-release development and community engagement (confidence: high) — Code and streaming: 'Check out a bunch of streams of gameplay on the new code and get up to speed on the official rules in this rulesheet for Star Wars: Fall of the Empire!'
- **[product_strategy]** Insider Connected All-Access tier launched with home leaderboards, shipping discounts, elite status display, and Gameroom PRO analytics; factory tours planned to resume in 2026 (confidence: high) — New All-Access features live with IC Home Leaderboards, free/discounted shipping, Gold elite status, Gameroom PRO tech alerts; factory tour timing noted as 'starting in 2026'
- **[industry_signal]** Elvira's House of Horrors entering Stern Vault Program for minimum two years with no return guarantee; inventory almost completely sold out creating urgency (confidence: high) — Official vault announcement: games 'removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning. These games are almost completely sold out.'

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## Transcript

STERN OF THE UNION ADDRESS – NOVEMBER 2025
The Stern of the Union Address, your monthly resource for news, information and highlights on all things Stern Pinball. Without further ado my fellow pinheads:
The Walking Dead Remastered:
There’s a Horde coming with a technologically advanced version of one of the most beloved pinball games of all time… The Walking Dead Remastered! Stay tuned to see the game in action for the first time soon and the opportunity to get your hands on it before it hits locations worldwide… just don’t get bit!
Star Wars: Fall of the Empire:
Are you a Jedi yet? Check out a bunch of streams of gameplay on the new code and get up to speed on the official rules in this rulesheet for Star Wars: Fall of the Empire! https://sternpinball.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Star-Wars-Fall-of-the-Empire-Rulesheet-v4.pdf
Pinball Expo 2025:
We had a BLAST connecting with the pinhead community at this year’s Pinball Expo. Check out the fun we had along the way!
King Kong: Myth of Terror Island Pinball Accessories:
Go bananas and make your King Kong pinball machine the 8th wonder of the world!
Elvira Vault Spotlight:
The taunting is over and the playing begins before Stern Pinball’s Elvira’s House of Horrors goes into the vault. Join our crew in the haunted mansion as they wade through ghouls, ghosts, monsters & so much more. As part of the Stern Vault Program, Elvira’s House of Horrors has been removed from active production and will remain in the vault for a minimum of two years without any guarantee of returning. These games are almost completely sold out, so contact for availability before it’s too late!
Insider Connected:
New All-Access Perks Are LIVE!
Sign up for All-Access today to compete with your friends and look good doing it with:
IC Home Leaderboards — Compete with your friends by making a leaderboard for your home pinball machine.
Shipping Savings — Get FREE shipping (Continental US) or discounted shipping for Alaska, Hawaii and international on the Stern Pinball Shop. Gear up for less!
Go For Gold — You’ll now appear in Gold on the game and on leaderboards, showing the world you’re an All-Access elite.
Be a PRO at Home — Access tech alerts and machine stats in your new Gameroom PRO.
Need the Details? Check the FAQ!
For all the rules, restrictions on the free/discounted shipping, timing on the next factory tours (starting in 2026), and other important info, head straight to our updated FAQ page:
Stay connected and play in ongoing community events! Featuring monthly quests and leaderboards, there’s no shortage of what you’ll be able to achieve!
Beat That Score:
Be the Challenge, Play the Challenge! https://sternpinball.com/beat_that_score/
Gameroom of the Month:
Congrats to Verena Zorn for winning Gameroom of the Month! Do you have a special home gameroom you want to share with the world? Submit your incredible gameroom directly to Insider@sternpinball.com for your chance to be featured as our next winner!
Stern Army Updates:
The Stern Army continues to grow with troops spreading the gospel of pinball across the globe. Stern Army locations receive first priority shipment of new Stern games for hosting official Launch Parties in addition to supporting events with prizes, giveaways, promotional materials, and tools for hosting recurring tournaments and leagues. Engage and expand your local pinball community and to join the Stern Army, please reach out to SternArmy@sternpinball.com
https://youtu.be/7vVr8LvKIWM?si=we1i2gQujuXuvtSr
Location of the Month:
Congrats to Intersect Brewing of Fort Collins, Colorado for winning Location of the Month! Do you have a special location you want to share with the world? Submit your pictures directly to Insider@sternpinball.com for your chance to be featured as our next winner!
Stern Pro Circuit:
Congrats to all competitors at this year’s Pinball Expo Flip Out Stern Pro Circuit tournament. In the end, all the way from Sweden no less, Arvid Flygare outlasted the competition for his first circuit victory! For full details on the Stern Pro Circuit and to keep up with the current standings and schedule, please visit – https://sternpinball.com/stern-pro-circuit/
Upcoming Stern Pro Circuit Events:
Stern Pro Circuit 2025 Schedule:
Only a few events remain on the 2025 season of the Stern Pro Circuit!
Stern Pro Circuit Championship:
The best of the best duked it out at the 2025 Stern Pro Circuit Championship, presented by Mountain Dew in conjunction with the International Flipper Pinball Association & Enterrium! Who ended up with crown? Catch a replay of the competitive event of the year!
Stern Rewards Program:
In partnership with the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA), the Stern Rewards Program annually provides IFPA players who qualify the chance to purchase a new Stern Pinball machine at a special IFPA price plus the opportunity for additional Stern merchandise discounts. Detailed rules for the Stern Rewards Program, including an updated list of qualifiers and updated list of rewards available can be found HERE.
The IFPA is excited to announce that Stern has added King Kong: Myth of Terror Island Pro and Premium to the rewards program!
Status of Code:
We are continuously working to update and improve software for our machines. There are always code updates and bug fixes in various stages of development; we will release them upon update completion. If you would like to join our mailing list for code updates, please send an e-mail to Code.Updates@sternpinball.com. If you do encounter any bugs please feel free to provide information to bug.report@sternpinball.com. Get Connected and play! https://insider.sternpinball.com/
Code updates and read me files are available at https://sternpinball.com/support/game-code/
Merch and Accessories:
Check out our Stern Shop for all accessories, collectibles, clothing and more!
Stern Pinball accessories are also available to purchase from your local authorized dealer – https://sternpinball.com/find-a-dealer/
Ask Jack Anything:
You’ve got questions? Jack has answers! Ask Jack Anything* is a place to communicate more personably with us at Stern Pinball. Think of it as a digital suggestion box. Don’t be afraid to reach out about anything. It’s as anonymous as you want it to be! ⚡
Random Tutorials, Interviews and more:
Check out a slew of fun content, tutorials, and interviews including a special one with Business Insider!

_(Acquisition: web_scrape, Enrichment: v1)_

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*Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: cc01e106-cfdf-4ab9-b1ea-b506b1d9c763*