Toy Fair 2026 brought Digimon fans a lot to talk about, but one story keeps standing out. A new wave of Digital Monster-style V-Pets, officially named Digimon Original New Wave 1, is on the way — and it reads like a love letter to anyone who just wants a cheap, classic digital partner.
Revealed at Toy Fair in New York and covered by With the Will, the new units are reported to ship this fall at around $20 each, packaged for release in both the US and Japan. Four shells lead the first wave: Digital Camouflage, Pixel Protein, Digivolution Agumon, and Graffiti Agumon. A second wave — New Wave 2 — is already appearing in retail listings carrying shells like Pixel Heart, Graffiti Coronamon, Logo Black, and Illustration Champion.
The most interesting touch may be the look. These devices bear a new, modernized Digimon logo built on the vintage English V-Pet logo — a design long familiar to Western fans. It is a welcome update that keeps the original's personality while feeling fresh on 2026 packaging.
Under the shell, the expected programming is identical to the English 20th-anniversary Digital Monster units that have been used for years across English and Japanese releases. That points to a familiar, proven raising-and-battling experience rather than anything experimental. As always, the exact roster of obtainable Digimon and the fine print will depend on the final release notes — but the "Wave 1" naming certainly suggests further waves are planned.
What makes this release notable is the timing and the point. For years, the spotlight has fallen on premium, collector-focused products like the Digital Monster COLOR line — faithful and gorgeous, but pricey and aimed squarely at the dedicated collector. New Wave 1 heads the other direction. These are simple, affordable, classic-style V-Pets with eye-catching shells and packaging, aimed at a wider Western audience. After a stretch where "new Digimon V-Pet" often meant a splurge, a roughly $20 classic-style unit is genuinely good news for fans who just want a cheap digital partner again.
A little caution is fair. Toy prices have a habit of drifting, so that expected price is best treated as a promise to be confirmed once units actually hit shelves. And with New Wave 2 already teased, if a shell catches your eye when pre-orders open, it may be wise not to sleep on it.
For a fan hub that has spent years covering premium rereleases, this feels like a breath of fresh air: a straightforward, affordable return to the kind of V-Pet that made the franchise a phenomenon in the first place. We will keep watching US and Japanese listings as this fall's release draws closer.