Rumor: Barrels of Fun has GI Joe License...For Now; Jersey Jack Sonic Release Date & More

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Jun 10, 2026

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.025

TL;DR

Barrels of Fun license at risk; JJP Sonic 23 reveal confirmed; Halo, Cirqus Voltaire, ZZ Top rumors.

Summary

Knapp Arcade reports multiple pinball industry rumors and news items from mid-June 2026: Barrels of Fun allegedly holds a GI Joe license secured through a UK entity but faces potential revocation from Hasbro; Jersey Jack Pinball the Hedgehog is expected to be revealed around June 23rd (Sonic's birthday) with immediate shipping; Chicago Gaming Company and Play Mechanics' Halo game is rumored for fall Chicago Pinball Expo; American Pinball plans a second licensed title (Cirqus Voltaire remake) and possibly a ZZ Top game; and Barrels of Fun is rumored to be working on Big Trouble in Little China rather than The NeverEnding Story.

Key Claims

Barrels of Fun has held a GI Joe pinball license for about a year, obtained through a UK entity, with planned 2028 release.
low confidence · Cale Hernandez on Electric Bat Podcast page, reported by Knapp Arcade as hearsay/rumor
Hasbro US headquarters is attempting to revoke Barrels of Fun license, disputing the UK licensor's authority to grant it.
low confidence · Cale Hernandez rumor via Electric Bat Podcast, reported by Knapp Arcade
Jersey Jack Pinball the Hedgehog will be revealed around June 23rd with games ready to immediately ship to distributors.
medium confidence · Jamie Burchell, Cale Hernandez, and Retro Ralph on JBS Show; corroborated with Knapp Arcade prior report of game already on production line
Barrels of Fun has expanded its facility with a new section and hired approximately 40 employees.
medium confidence · Jamie Burchell reported after visiting Barrels factory on JBS Show
Chicago Gaming Company and Play Mechanics' Halo game will be shown at fall 2026 Chicago Pinball Expo.
medium confidence · Jamie Burchell, Cale Hernandez, Retro Ralph on JBS Show
American Pinball will release a Cirqus Voltaire remake as its second licensed game before end of 2026.
medium confidence · John Schwarz (board member) via conversation with Retro Ralph, reported on JBS Show
Barrels of Fun is NOT making a pinball machine based on The NeverEnding Story.
high confidence · David Van Es (Barrels of Fun) confirmed in conversation with Jamie Burchell on JBS Show
Barrels of Fun may be working on a Big Trouble in Little China pinball machine.
low confidence · Speculation by JBS Show panelists (Jamie Burchell, Cale Hernandez, Retro Ralph) based on process of elimination
American Pinball may be working on a ZZ Top themed pinball machine.

Notable Quotes

“He stated that he heard that Barrels has had the license to make a pinball machine based the well-known toy line / cartoon GI Joe for about a year.”
Cale Hernandez (via Electric Bat Facebook, reported by Knapp Arcade) @ June 9, 2026 — First public revelation of GI Joe license rumor with specific timeline
“The rumor continues that the headquarters for the Hasbro toy company here in the United States found out how Barrels supposedly got the license and that they don't agree that this licensor had the rights to give it to them and that they are trying to pull it.”
Cale Hernandez (via Electric Bat Facebook, reported by Knapp Arcade) @ June 9, 2026 — Adds contested licensing angle and potential legal/business risk
“They believe that Jersey Jack Pinball next game, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video games will be revealed around June 23rd, with games ready to immediately ship to distributors.”
Jamie Burchell, Cale Hernandez, Retro Ralph on JBS Show Roundtable @ June 9, 2026 — Specific reveal date tied to Sonic's franchise birthday, indicates imminent production readiness
“He said that Barrels has expanded its facility, adding an entirely new section and has hired more employees, approximately 40 or so now.”
JBS Show with Jamie Burchell @ June 9, 2026 — Confirms Barrels of Fun growth and capacity expansion

Entities

Barrels of Fun Pinballcompany Jersey Jack Pinballcompany Chicago Gaming Companycompany American PinballcompanyPlay MechanicscompanyCale HernandezpersonJamie Burchellperson Retro Ralphperson

Signals

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rumor_hype: GI Joe pinball license rumor circulating with details about UK intermediary and Hasbro dispute
low · Cale Hernandez shared on Electric Bat Facebook; initial whispers existed for at least a year prior
?
announcement: Jersey Jack Pinball Sonic the Hedgehog reveal expected June 23, 2026 with immediate distributor shipping
medium · JBS Show Roundtable panelists (Jamie Burchell, Cale Hernandez, Retro Ralph) corroborated; aligns with Sonic's franchise birthday
?
manufacturing_signal: Barrels of Fun expanding facility with new section and hiring approximately 40 employees total
medium · Jamie Burchell visited factory and reported; photos referenced in prior article
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product_launch: Dune and Winchester currently on Barrels of Fun production line; new game expected by Pinball Expo
medium · Jamie Burchell factory visit; photos documented in prior Knapp Arcade article
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rumor_hype: Barrels of Fun possibly working on Big Trouble in Little China rather than The NeverEnding Story
low · Process of elimination by JBS Show Roundtable panelists; NeverEnding Story denied by David Van Es
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event_signal: Chicago Pinball Expo fall 2026 shaping up as major announcement venue for Halo, new Barrels game, and others

Transcript

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News Rumor: Barrels of Fun has GI Joe License...For Now; Jersey Jack Sonic Release Date & More k knapparcade June 10, 2026 Welcome to my third article this week. There's been a surprising amount of cool stuff to talk about. Let's kick things off with a brand new rumor. Yesterday, Cale Hernandez took to the Electric Bat Facebook page to share a brand new rumor about a theme that he believes Barrels of Fun pinball has the license for...for now. He stated that he heard that Barrels has had the license to make a pinball machine based the well-known toy line / cartoon GI Joe for about a year. He said that they have not yet started development on the game that they are planning to release in 2028. He went on to add that Barrels believed that it had secured the license to the IP through some sort of entity in the UK. The rumor continues that the headquarters for the Hasbro toy company here in the United States found out how Barrels supposedly got the license and that they don’t agree that this licensor had the rights to give it to them and that they are trying to pull it. The rumor linking Barrels of Fun and GI Joe is nothing new. Whispers connecting the two have been around for at least a year, probably more. All of these other details certainly are new though. What do you think, would GI Joe make a good pinball license? I think so. I used to like the cartoon and toys when I was little. There was even a rich kid in my school whose parents bought him the massive GI Joe Aircraft carrier. Man that thing was sick! Below is a link to the broadcast where this rumor was shared: BREAKING NEWS!! Is a pinball company working on a GI JOE pinball machine? Apparently I'm going all in on Cale this article lol because I had this next section already laid out before he shared the GI Joe Rumor. He and Retro Ralph joined Jamie Burchell on his JBS Show Roundtable pinball talk yesterday. Cool rumors and info always come out of their shows. The latest episode was no exception. Here's my notes: !Advertisement Ad 3 of 3 \- Jamie recently visited the Barrels of Fun factory. He said that Barrels has expanded its facility, adding an entirely new section and has hired more employees, approximately 40 or so now. As seen in the pictures that I shared in an article earlier this week, Dune and Winchester are currently on the production line there. \- They believe that Jersey Jack Pinball's next game, based on the Sonic the Hedgehog video games will be revealed around June 23rd, with games ready to immediately ship to distributors. I have previously reported here that the game is already on the production line at JJP's Elk Grove Village, Illinois factory. Of note, June 23rd is considered Sonic's birthday - the original Sega Genesis game launched on June 23, 1991. \- They believe that Chicago Gaming Company and Play Mechanics' next pinball machine, rumored to be based on the Halo video game series for quite some time, will be shown off at this fall's Chicago Pinball Expo. \- Ralph recently went to lunch with John Schwarz, a member of the board of advisors for the new American Pinball (AP). He was told that AP will likely release a second licensed pinball machine after its initial game, a remake of Bally's 1997 Cirqus Voltaire, before the end of the year. The two also discussed the possibility of a pinball machine based upon the band ZZ Top. \- Jamie also had a recent pinball lunch, this one with Barrel's of Fun's David Van Es. According to their conversation, as we suspected the rumor that Barrels is making a pin based upon the 1984 film "The NeverEnding Story" is NOT true. The roundtable members speculated that Barrels might be working on a pinball machine based on the 1986 film "Big Trouble in Little China." They expect to see a new Barrels game by Pinball Expo (man Expo is shaping up to be a real banger). Pinball Roundtable - The boys are BACK! - YouTube Tap to unmute Pinball Roundtable - The boys are BACK! The JBS Show with Jamie Burchell The JBS Show with Jamie Burchell Speaking of podcasts, I was on one myself last night - The Dirty Pool Pinball Podcast. I had a great time hanging out with Jeff discussing all things pinball and getting into the origin of this website. I have embedded it below if you want to check it out: Jason Knapp of Knapp Arcade joins Dirty Pool Podcast to talk about running one of the few dedicated pinball news sites still trying to keep track of the hobby in real time. We get into pinball journalism, how stories are chosen, how much work goes into keeping information accurate,and what it’s like covering a small industry where the people, companies, rumors, and drama all exist. Also I eat a taco. It was pretty good. We also talk about the Knapp Arcade redesign, what changed behind the scenes, how the site has grown, and the balance between building something useful for the community without getting dragged into every argument the hobby creates for itself._ Dirty Pool Podcast - Ep34 - Jason Knapp of Knapp Arcade - YouTube Tap to unmute dirtypoolpinball dirtypoolpinball Rokr, a company known for creating 3D puzzle kits, recently launched a Kickstarter for a new dinosaur-themed pinball kit. The company has done wooden pinball kits in the past, but this one looks substantially more advanced than the previous ones. I don't have the time or the patience to put something like this together, but it actually looks pretty cool. New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement. Contact knapparcade@gmail.com today The 319 part kit requires an estimated 5 to 6 hours to assemble. It costs $64.99 for "Super Early Bird" buyers (limited to 100 units) and $99.99 for regular "Early Bird" buyers (limited to 1,500 units) with an estimated delivery date of July 2026. ROKR Dinosaur Lab Pinball While we are talking about pinball kits, an image of the Lego pinball kit that I mentioned here a week or two has supposedly leaked: According to the rumors, the kit (#11374) will contain 2,274 pieces, include two minifigures - a Light Blue Astronaut and a Light Blue Spacebaby, be for builders who are 18+ and cost $199.99 with a launch this summer. Earlier this week, I came across a really cool story about a Canadian man who built a homebrew pinball machine based upon The Simpson's "Who Shot Mr. Burns" storyline. Ontario man spent nearly 3 years building award-winning pinball machine #TheMoment he made a working pinball machine - YouTube Tap to unmute #TheMoment he made a working pinball machine CBC News: The National CBC News: The National2.14M subscribers Posted 41 minutes ago k About knapparcade Site administrator Comments (0) Please sign in to join the conversation. No comments yet Be the first to share your thoughts on this post! Related Articles Rumor: Barrels of Fun has GI Joe License...For Now; Jersey Jack Sonic Release Date & More 41 minutes ago New Multimorphic Pinball Module "Coming Soon"; New 24-Hour Pinball Tournament; Crazy Taxi is Back & More 1 day ago Sneak Preview of Transformers Pinball Topper & Other Cool Stuff From the Northwest Pinball & Arcade Show 3 days ago Subscribe to Updates Get the latest pinball news, blog posts, and event announcements delivered to your inbox Subscribe !Advertisement Ad 2 of 2 New sponsor slot Your sponsored ad here Be the first to claim this placement.