The short answer: Moxie, the robot from Embodied, is no longer for sale: Embodied said in December 2024 that it was shutting down (Axios), and the team now behind Moxie says it is being sunset (moxierobots.com). If your child misses a companion to talk with, look at a talking plush toy for voice-only play, or another robot with a screen.
What happened to Moxie?
Moxie was a $799 robot that needed its maker’s servers to work. When Embodied announced in December 2024 that it was shutting down, it expected the robots to stop working within days and offered no refunds (Axios). A new team at Moxie Robots later ran a beta with a few hundred kids. As of October 29, 2026, its site says Moxie is being sunset and is no longer for sale, that the robot’s connection to its servers remained until June 30, 2026, and that after that the robot can connect with OpenMoxie (moxierobots.com).
For a child, that can mean a friend that stopped talking. If that happened in your home, it is worth telling your child plainly that the robot is not coming back the way it was, before a new toy arrives, so the new one is not asked to replace a friend.
What to look for in a Moxie replacement
- Screen or no screen. Moxie was a robot (Axios). A talking plush keeps play voice-only; a robot keeps a display. Decide this first.
- Your child’s age now. Age ranges differ a lot between toys; buy for the range your child is in, with room to grow.
- What happens if the company stops. Moxie is the reason to ask (moxierobots.com). Any toy whose AI runs on its maker’s servers raises the same question, ours included, so look for a written answer before you buy.
- What the parent sees. A parent app that shows the conversations is the best safety net, because no AI filters perfectly.
- What it costs in a year. Add the plan you would actually keep to the price of the toy.
