Prime 1 Studio has expanded its The Last of Us Part I lineup with three new 1/4 scale statues: Joel, Ellie, and one of the game's most feared infected variants, a Bloater. Pre-orders opened May 22, 2026 (Japan Standard Time), giving collectors a long lead window before the pieces actually arrive — the Ellie Bonus Version, for example, carries an expected arrival date of January 2028, which is typical for the studio's ultra-premium statue tier.
Pricing has only been confirmed in full for the Ellie statue so far, with the Real Elite Masterline Bonus Version listed at $1,099 USD. Joel and the Bloater are part of the same wave but haven't had their individual prices fully surface publicly yet, though collectors familiar with Prime 1 Studio's pricing tiers for 1/4 scale releases should expect figures in a broadly similar range, adjusted for each character's sculpt complexity and included accessories.
The Last of Us has had a strong run of premium collectibles since the game's PS5 remake and the HBO adaptation renewed mainstream interest in the franchise, but 1/4 scale statue treatments at this fidelity level are still relatively rare compared to the smaller-format figures that have dominated the license. A Bloater specifically is a notable inclusion — infected variants tend to be harder sculpts to pull off convincingly than human characters, given the amount of fungal growth detail the design calls for, and getting one at this scale is a meaningful addition for collectors who've wanted more than just Joel and Ellie on their shelf.
Prime 1 Studio, like many premium statue makers, typically offers a standard version alongside a more expensive Bonus (or Deluxe) version that includes additional accessories, alternate parts, or display elements. The $1,099 figure confirmed for Ellie reflects the Bonus Version specifically, so collectors budgeting for a standard release should watch for a separate, likely lower, price point once fully confirmed.
An arrival date stretching into 2028 is a long runway even by premium statue standards, and it reflects the sheer production time these ultra-detailed pieces require — sculpting, prototyping, painting samples, and manufacturing at this fidelity level simply takes years rather than months. Collectors who pre-order now are effectively reserving a production slot rather than buying something that ships soon.
Prime 1 Studio has built a substantial catalog of video game-licensed statues across franchises beyond The Last of Us, and this wave's approach — releasing a protagonist duo alongside a genuinely challenging antagonist sculpt rather than just the marketable leads — reflects a pattern the studio has used successfully elsewhere to give a license real collecting depth rather than a single hero-focused release. For collectors already invested in Prime 1 Studio's other video game lines, this wave's pricing and scale should feel broadly familiar, even with The Last of Us's specific character designs presenting their own sculpting challenges.
Given the substantial per-piece pricing and long lead time, some collectors budget for premium statue pre-orders like this using a deposit-plus-installment approach where available through their chosen retailer, rather than paying the full amount upfront at order time. Checking whether your preferred retailer offers that kind of structured payment option is worth doing before committing to all three pieces in this wave at once.
1/4 scale statues need serious interior clearance. The EVORETRO Acrylic Modular Case, available up to 12x12x12 inches, accommodates large-format single statues with room to spare. For staging a smaller companion piece or accessory alongside the main statue, the EVORETRO 4-Step Acrylic Display Stand works as a secondary riser.
Prime 1 Studio typically provides periodic production updates to pre-order holders during a statue's development cycle, including paint sample previews and prototype photos as the piece moves through production stages. Collectors who've pre-ordered similarly long-lead-time Prime 1 Studio releases before should expect a similar cadence of updates here, giving some visibility into progress during the roughly year-and-a-half wait rather than complete silence until shipping.
The Real Elite Masterline Ellie Bonus Version is priced at $1,099 USD.
The Ellie Bonus Version has an expected arrival date of January 2028; Joel and the Bloater are part of the same wave.
1/4 scale.
It's presented as a full statue release alongside Joel and Ellie, not a bundled accessory.
This is a genuinely ambitious wave for The Last of Us collectors, giving the franchise the kind of ultra-premium statue treatment it hasn't consistently had before. The long wait is the tradeoff for that level of detail, and collectors comfortable with a multi-year pre-order window will end up with a serious centerpiece for their shelf.
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