As previously shared in an exclusive alert to all Toy Association members, on September 30, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer provided new details on potential tariff reductions under the U.S.-China Board of Trade.

New Licensing International and Circana data point to strong growth for licensing across Europe, with licensed toys leading the way.

Ariel Investments wants the toy company to explore strategic alternatives, which could also include a divestiture of assets or a merger.

Shares of toymaker Mattel rose Thursday after the Wall Street Journal reported that Authentic Brands Group had expressed interest in buying the toymaker.

It's a full-circle moment for a company that has undergone two major acquisitions within the last 18 months.

A scammer jailed for making false home insurance claims about supposedly stolen Lego has been listed as one of last year's most high-profile insurance fraudsters.

Paramount Skydance has officially taken over Warner Bros Discovery in a $110bn merger that is set to reshape Hollywood and the media landscape.

Toy Association members now have access to an executive summary of Circana’s fall update on the state of the U.S. toy industry.

Here are the stories that the toy industry couldn’t stop reading and talking about last month.

Music, rapid response, real-world experiences, and smarter curation are among the trends poised to shape 2027.

The curated list features Target exclusives, with toys starting at $4.99.

With Beyond Limits and License to Play, the Spielwarenmesse TrendCommittee has identified two themes that will shape the international toy community in the years to come.

From KPop Demon Hunters and Toy Story to gaming, mythology, horror, and varsity looks, the seasonal retailer is mapping the pop culture forces shaping Halloween.

Kidscreen got its hands on the stateside edition of Beano Brain's annual 100 Coolest Brands list, which features plenty of toy and entertainment properties.

After decades of depending on customers who had to beg their parents for pocket money—and who would eventually grow up—the toy industry has found a savior in “kid-ults.”

I spent several days at BLE this week – it was the first trade show I have been able to attend since London Toy Fair, and it was great to be back.

Pilot Jonathan Trappe took off aboard a basket lifted by 94 balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Generation Media's Tyler Milner discusses how opportunities lie in understanding the audiences, passion points and purchase journeys around cultural moments.

 Victoria Dobbie, Founder of Gameplan Social, looks at one of the biggest myths circulating the industry and explains why toy brands should look beyond the latest viral trend.

Within October's Talking Shop, Toy World's Anna Whyte speaks with a selection of indie retailers about how their shop is currently faring and what's to come in Q4 and the Christmas shopping period.

This month, Toy Barnhaus' Mark Buschhaus and Stephen Barnes discussed successful summer sales, the toys and brands responsible for this and the biggest licences this year.

Kenner’s SSP Tournament of Thrills Set recreated the excitement of professional stunt driving with Daredevil Dan and a gyro-powered Mustang II.

Hasbro’s Incredible Super Stamper allowed children to create colourful geometric patterns using interchangeable stamps, rotating paper, and adjustable settings.

Released by Milton Bradley in 1970, Paddle Pool was a dexterity game that challenged players to defend their own pockets while directing a ball toward their opponents.

“Fast or slow; you can give it all you’ve got.”

The first products will roll out across the U.K. and Europe in Q4.

Preschool entertainment reaches new areas with Nine PBS and 9 Story Brands.

The partnership marks the platform’s largest licensing collaboration to date.

The doll honors one of the tennis champion’s most legendary wins.

With BLE underway, new data from Licensing International and Circana reveals which categories and countries are driving a 3.8% surge in the European licensing landscape.

The Sony-owned streamer’s new Storyworks unit is also tasked with turning existing IPs into anime.

Miraculous Corp and See-Saw Films are set to co-develop and co-produce the first live-action adaptation of the world's most in-demand kids show.

Marvel Unlimited to Shut Down in December

Blippi's Meekah has teamed up with Dove for a new childrens music video to promote body confidence.

'Barbie 2' is the first priority at the new Paramount Warner Bros merged Skydance company.

License Global deep dives into anime trends in Europe and beyond.

'Marvel Zombies' and 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' are both returning to Disney+ next year

The unveiling of Funko’s Pop! figures based on the key characters from Avengers: Doomsday on Monday comes a day after Avengers: Endgame reclaimed the all-time global box office record from James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster Avatar.

Asha Sharma’s next big move is launching XP.

The renewed agreement includes Axis & Allies, Acquire, Diplomacy, Heroscape, Robo Rally and Ikusa, with new games and expansions planned for 2027 and beyond, the pair said.

Bradley Cooper is set to star in the new live-action G.I. Joe, according to a press release.

In celebration of World Space Week The Pokémon Company International and the European Space Agency (ESA) have teamed up to take everyone's favorite electric-type Pokémon to the stars.

It's unclear if the pause will affect the movie's 2028 release date.

Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew is a spinoff TV show of the legendary sci-fi series.

KAYOU and Hasbro Celebrate One Year of My Little Pony in the U.S. with New Cards and More Ways for Fans to Collect, Play & Connect.

The partnership strengthens Rubies’ licensed portfolio and brings Warner Bros. Discovery’s iconic characters to fans across EMEA.

25 years after Shrek first arrived in cinemas, enduring multi-generational fandom and new holiday retail activations set the stage for the franchise’s return in 2027.

The Noble Collection is expanding its licensed partnerships through new collectibles, games, stationery, plush and more.

Further collaborations with Adidas, Penguin Random House, Rubies, Centric Brands and Panini will expand Messi and the Giants into new lines of consumer products ahead of its 2027 debut.

Warner Bros. Global Consumer Products is showcasing DC Studios broad portfolio of upcoming stories, animated series and short-form content.

Merchantwise Group is making a bigger play in brand licensing with the acquisition of Melbourne-based WP Brands.

Customers who purchase a qualifying full synthetic oil change can score a limited-edition Jiffy Lube-branded Matchbox 2018 Dodge Durango beginning Oct. 2.

Former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick is joining the board of directors of Skydance after its successful merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount.

Robbie will be based in the El Segundo office and brings more than 20 years of consumer products, licensing and brand-building experience to Moose.

After an array of entries from budding train enthusiasts across the nation, 7-year-old Leo Kelly has been named Hornby's first-ever Mini Conductor.

With significant retail and board experience, Karen will provide the primary link between the Group Board and The Ludus Trust. Teal Group, the parent company of The Entertainer, has announced the appointment of Karen Hubbard as Group Chair.

Also, Mattel Studios has hired a sales veteran to lead distribution, while Knowledge Network has selected an experienced producer to lead its kids channel.

Wandering Planet Toys is giving its retro-inspired Kickstarter line a soundtrack, with Wordburglar joining the roster as both recording artist and collectible character.

The expansion brings back the Arena strategy, adds new tools for every deck color, and introduces Hidden Cards.

The new partnership introduces Hello Kitty and Friends to LEGO products next year.

Hasbro is keeping tight-lipped about how many staffers were affected, but the toyco told Kidscreen that its US toys & games team has taken the biggest hit.

Hasbro's NYCC 2026 G.I. Joe Classified panel revealed the 2027 mainline wave, Retro Collection plans, and more.

The retailer’s kids catalog is focused on interactive experiences, including demonstrations and video reviews.

CMON has found a route to getting one of its delayed projects into customers' hands without having to fund the remaining costs itself, as the financially-troubled publisher continues its attempt to recover from almost $23m of losses across 2024 and 2025.

The move comes after several years of soaring sales and profits at Wizards, which has increasingly become the financial powerhouse of Hasbro amid struggles at the company's traditional toys business.

The new hub will focus on developing new content for the Dungeons & Dragons franchise and supporting Wizards of the Coast’s growing digital games portfolio, bringing together teams across game development and other areas within the organization.

Despite this switch to KTL Global from Monday 5th October, the people and services behind the business remain the same.

The buy one, get one free cashback offer runs from 1st October to 31st December, helping families bring home more Playmobil while keeping Christmas budgets in check.

Portal's growth has been supported by combining its creative expertise with Generation Media’s specialist audience and media knowledge.

Available now, the new Toniebox Lite Starter Set offers a more accessible way into the Tonies family.

The new range of products blends Crayola’s iconic colour expertise with the versatile building system of Plus-Plus.

Hasbro is unveiling a slate of new collaborations and brand extensions across collectibles, experiences, publishing, music, food & beverage and promotions.

Following the Paramount takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance took to the License Global Main Stage for BLE's day two keynote.

VICTURY Sports founder Joe Burke brought his indoor play ball — and his 11-year-old son — into the Tank as the brand pushes past 2 million units sold.

The deal, tied to civil rehabilitation proceedings in Japan, will place Toys “R” Us-Japan under new ownership, while Toys “R” Us Asia will keep its focus on the rest of the region.

Casual card games, voice-powered play, active campaigns, and new titles lead the week.

The advanced PlayStation 5 console is already both highly sought-after and hard to find. Now retailers are pricing it well above MSRP.

The head of the Sonic Team, Takashi Iizuka, has spoken again about revisiting past Sonic the Hedgehog titles but says that the team currently has a strong desire to create “new games” in the franchise.

Platinum Games CEO Atsushi Inaba recently took part in a joint interview with Shift Up’s Kim Hyung Tae with Famitsu.

Nintendo has recently refreshed some trademarks for some of its older titles as it naturally does from time to time.

The next generation console from Xbox, Project Helix, is expected to release late 2027 or early 2028 and the head of Xbox Asha Sharma has said that it will be a family of systems.

RuneFest, the annual celebration for everything to do with RuneScape, is taking place this weekend in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

After more than 15 years, it seems that more Ape Escape may finally be on the way.

The winners span the brand’s toddler and preschool range: the Wooden Big City Train Adventure Set & Table, the Wooden Magnetic Mix & Match People, the Wooden Slice & Play Fruit Crate, and the Wooden Farm Easy-Grasp Peg Puzzle.

When an up-and-coming toy company is turning this many heads, it must be something special! Playcor – the incredible baby toy company with an equal focus on play value and living room cohesion – has earned yet another prestigious win, this time from Parents.com! Their Chain Link Teether was named a winner in the Parents 2026 Best Toys Awards, earning recognition from the consumer media giant and its more than eight million monthly readers.

Toy collectors both young and old can be among the toughest customers to shop for, due to their unique and discerning tastes. But what if there were an entirely new collectible figure line, steeped in toy history to please longtime collectors, and with an incredibly unique visual style to wow younger ones? Such a gift may be just the thing to please the serious hobbyist in your life. Enter Ancientz, the passion project of one Howard “Quiggly” Chang – the key artist behind the classic 1980s TMNT toy aesthetic, and a name worthy of toy royalty!

The Toy Association™ is calling on Pennsylvania lawmakers to pursue safeguards for children’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) rather than a toy-specific moratorium that could restrict safe, educational products while leaving children’s access to AI chatbots through other platforms largely unaddressed.

Themed “The Force of Play,” this year’s TAGIEs will honor American Girl Founder Pleasant Rowland with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Exploding Kittens Co-Founders Elan Lee and Matthew Inman as Industry Game Changers.

The ceremony honors toy industry icons and 50 years of Star Wars.

The Toy Association’s Toy Fair®, the largest trade-only event for the toy and play industry in the Western Hemisphere, has earned top honors on Trade Show Executive (TSE) magazine’s prestigious Gold 100 List.

The Toy Association today announced five industry icons who will join the esteemed Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

90 newcomers are set to join the October event.

From major product reveals and professional programming to a Spider-Man world record attempt, New York Comic Con is packed with toy industry action.

BBC Studios and Macy’s are teaming up once again to bring a brand-new Bluey balloon to the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Marking its 21st anniversary, the three-day event will unite artists, brands, and fans to showcase collectible toys, custom creations, plush, designer apparel, and more.

Ronnen Harary reflects on the courage and curiosity necessary to go from an idea to a global business and discusses his related new book, No Experience Necessary.

Mattel swings into New York Comic Con with a night-worthy debut, unleashing the very first DC Collectible from their epic partnership, starring none other than Gotham’s Dark Knight himself.

BLE Event Director Ella Haynes tells Toy World’s Vicky Doe what visitors can expect and why the opportunities for the toy industry are becoming broader too.

Board game enthusiasts visited The Lyttelton Arms in Camden for Board Game Club's first event of the year.

Under the theme One International Conversation in Play, the launch party combined networking, a sponsor product showcase and insights from guest speakers.

The Spring 2027 Previews are confirmed for 17th-21st May, aligning with the Las Vegas Licensing Expo.

The collaboration brings together Three Nines' frontline expertise and Learning Resources' experience in creating practical, evidence-led tools.

Retail’s biggest names, 1,500+ brands, 130+ speakers and five new content stages are set to bring the industry together at NEC Birmingham from 7th-10th February 2027.