Nominations Begin for The Toy Foundation's 2023 Toy of the Year Awards



The Oscars of the toy industry are just four months away! Nominations are now being accepted for The Toy Foundation’s 24th Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. This year’s TOTY Awards program will honor outstanding products, properties, individuals, and campaigns across 23 categories. Read more…

Exclusive: Jada Toys Rolls Into FuelFest to Unveil TrueSpec Die-Cast Range and Launch CASTED Collaboration

Jada Toys is gearing up for a big launch and a new collaboration. This weekend, the maker of premium die-cast toys and collectibles will return to FuelFest at Irwindale Speedway outside of Los Angeles to unveil its newest offerings. Read more…

Hasbro’s Twister Air is a Digital Remix of the Classic Game

Hasbro’s Twister Air is an app-enabled game that takes the classic Twister gameplay that players know and love from the mat to the screen using augmented reality. Players reach, clap, swipe, and strike poses as they scramble to earn points by matching colorful, stretchy wrist and ankle bands to the colored spots on the screen. Read more…

The LEGO Group Inspires Girls to ‘Play Unstoppable’ With Icons of Play Set Featuring Female Soccer Stars



The LEGO Group is challenging stereotypes and encouraging girls to play without boundaries — both on and off the field. The company revealed the new LEGO Icons of Play set as part of its new “Play Unstoppable” campaign, featuring Megan Rapinoe, Yūki Nagasato, Sam Kerr, and Asisat Oshoala. Read more…

JAKKS Pacific and Disguise Extend Agreement with EA for 'Apex Legends'



JAKKS Pacific and Disguise are re-upping a licensing agreement with EA to continue making products based on the free, multiplayer video game, Apex Legends. The deal was brokered by Retail Monster. Read more…

Pokémon Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames Trading Card Game Expansion Set for August Release



The Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames expansion introduces type-shifted Tera Pokémon ex cards featuring different Energy types. For example, trainers will find Charizard ex as a Darkness type versus its usual Fire type and Tyranitar ex as a Lightning type versus its usual Fighting type or Darkness type. Read more…

ZURU Releasing New X-Shot Insanity Blasters in July



ZURU is releasing a new series of foam dart blasters this July. The X-Shot Insanity range includes four blasters, all inspired by blaster modifications people seek online. The four blasters can be combined into one epic toy. Read more…

Dan Dee International Rides the Rails With Mattel's Thomas & Friends



Dan Dee International inked a multiyear licensing deal with Mattel for Thomas & Friends under which it will create a full range of everyday and seasonal plush for the U.S. and Canada. Read more…

Get Ready For ‘Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse’ With New Hot Toys Figures



Hot Toys is taking fans across the multiverse with a new drop of 1:6-scale figures featuring everyone’s friendly (and maybe not-so-friendly) neighborhood Spider-People. Marvel fans can get their hands on two figures inspired by the upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse animated movie: Spider-Man 2099 and Miles Morales. Read more at The Pop Insider…

McFarlane Toys and Warner Bros. Extend Licensing Partnership to 2025



McFarlane Toys and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Productsare continuing their licensing partnership to create more collectibles over the next two years. McFarlane Toys’ latest Warner Bros. collectibles include the Movie Maniacs collection for Warner Bros. 100th anniversary, including Harry Potter, Ted Lasso, the Wicked Witch of the West, and Bugs Bunny dressed as Superman. Read more…

WildBrain CPLG, SEGA Enter Licensing Partnerships for ‘Sonic Prime’ Worldwide



With season two of Netflix’s Sonic Prime set to release on July 13, WildBrain CPLG and SEGA of America have entered into cross-category licensing partnerships in various markets around the world to offer fans new opportunities to engage with the brand and its iconic characters. Read more…

BBC Studios Partners with Reality+ to Join The Sandbox Metaverse



BBC Studios has teamed up with Web3 specialist Reality+ to launch a collection of immersive metaverse experiences in The Sandbox, a virtual world that’s part virtual real estate, part amusement park. Fans will be able to interact with content from their favorite brands, including Top Gear and Doctor Who. Read more…

PlayMonster Group Names Kroeger Exclusive Distributor in Canada



The international toy and game manufacturer entered into an exclusive distribution partnership with Kroeger to provide sales and domestic inventory support in Canada for the PlayMonster catalog. Read more…

Cirque du Soleil Partners With Gamefam to Enter the Roblox Metaverse



Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group swung into a deal with Gamefam to create Cirque du Soleil Tycoon, a digital metaverse gaming experience on the Roblox platform. Community members can build and manage their own Big Top performance event in the game, complete with acrobats, artists, and more. Read more…

The Latest Tamagotchi Shell Designs Are Full of Summer Vibes



Kids are ready for summer vacation and so is Bandai Namco! The three new Tamagotchi shells that just came out are perfect for kids who are ready to have fun this summer. Read more at The Toy Insider…

Karen Cate, Jenica Myszkowski Named Co-CEOs of CAMP as Retailer Looks to Focus on Operations



A new era of CAMP has begun as the company works to streamline its business. This week, CAMP Founder Ben Kaufman took to LinkedIn to announce that he has stepped down as CEO of the “mass specialty” experiential retailer as Karen Cate and Jenica Myszkowski take the reins as Co-CEOs. Read more…

Build-A-Bear Partners With Kalahari for Workshops at Resort Locations

Build-A-Bear Workshop and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions are partnering up to bring Build-A-Bear Workshops to all four Kalahari Resort locations: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Sandusky, Ohio; Round Rock, Texas; and Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania. Read more…

Media Mashup: 'Barbie' Trailer Ushers in a New Era for the 'Toy Industry Cinematic Universe'

With the latest trailer for Warner Bros.’ Barbie: The Movie finally letting the cat out of the bag doll out of the box and revealing Will Ferrell (The LEGO Movie‘s “Lord Business”) stepping in for Ynon Kreiz as the cinematic Chairman and CEO of Mattel, I couldn’t help thinking about the other fictitious depictions of the toy industry — and living toys — on the big screen. Read more…

WiT Stories: Wellness In Conversation



Mental health is an important part of all of our lives. And yet, it is often overlooked as a crucial component in an employee’s well-being in the workplace. In this interview, two Women in Toys (WiT) members, Lindsey Berger and Dr. Erica Gergely, discuss the benefits of prioritizing mental health in the workplace and share some advice on how organizations can be more supportive. Read more…

New in Town: Make Waves with Mushie



The days of brightly-colored plastic baby toys that clutter new parents’ living rooms are almost over. Now, a new generation of parents is finding ways to combine its love for aesthetics with the desire to purchase sustainable, ethically sourced products and baby brand Mushie is at the forefront of it all. Read more…

Moose Toys Welcomes Hollie Holmes as Vice President of Global Licensing



Toy industry veteran Hollie Holmes joins the Moose Toys team as Vice President of Global Licensing. Holmes has a long history of work within the toy industry, managing partnerships with a variety of brands. Read more…

Toikido Taps Johnny Taylor as Chief Creative Officer



Toikido, the growing London-based entertainment company, has appointed Johnny Taylor as its new Chief Creative Officer. In his new position, Taylor will play a fundamental role in further developing Toikido’s portfolio of in-house intellectual properties (IP), with four new toy-focused games already in early-stage development and set for release within the next two years. Read more…