Rovio announces Angry Birds Stella, starring a new leading lady-bird

Rovio's next spin-off for the Angry Birds franchise centers around a new heroine called Stella, who along with her pals leads a new wave of games, cartoons, and merchandise. The first entry in Stella's adventures is due in the fall, but what it'll comprise isn't clear.

For its part, Rovio didn't offer many clues beyond a debut image starring the pink bird and her friends. The company's announcement blurb says, "Angry Birds Stella will open a door to a part of the Angry Birds universe you've never seen before! There will be plenty of fun and adventure, but the bunch of passionate pals will also have to deal with some serious issues in order to protect their friendship and the environment they live in. Luckily, Stella and her friends are good at finding creative solutions!"

While Flappy Bird has been its own phenomenon in 2014, it's light as a feather compared to the 2 billion downloads racked up by Angry Birds games, or the 200 million people that play Angry Birds each month. It'll be interesting to see how many of those millions will flock to Stella's new adventures, whatever they prove to be.

[Image: Rovio]