The Toy Association™ today welcomed a historic development for the U.S. toy industry under the newly formed U.S.-China Board of Trade.

A federal judge approved the Sept. 21 settlement between Paramount and a group of State Attorneys General that sued to block its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Cracked trays, high costs and a dice dilemma bogged down one company’s mission to produce a version of the classic game in the U.S.

President Trump’s tariffs are back in court again and just like before, a Chicagoland company is taking the lead in challenging them.

Despite increased financial pressure, consumers aren’t necessarily planning to retreat from holiday spending.

Transaction Strengthens Scholastic's Position in Early Childhood Publishing and Expands Opportunities for Growth Across Formats and Channels.

As Smyths Toys releases its 300-page toy catalogue, which will be supported by a launch party this weekend, the retailer gives Toy World readers an exclusive look at its new Christmas ad campaign.

The hot toys kids will be asking for this holiday season.

The hottest toys from the red-hot squishy toy trend.

Toy Insider Senior Editor/Toy Book Editor-in-Chief James Zahn joined Good Day Alabama to show off selections from the Toy Insider’s Hot 20, STEM 10, and 12 Under $20 list.

Kids aren't aging out of play earlier—it's just that how they engage with properties evolves over time, according to Beano Brain's annual study.

Halloween is increasingly behaving like a season rather than a single-day retail event.

Lifestyle products for the children’s bedroom: cosy animal designs, innovative night lights and play cushions for little explorers and dreamers.

Circana's Emilie Erktan examines the crucial role that licences play in the success of the toy market.

It’s been a busy week on the news front, so let’s dive straight in. The biggest story broke on Wednesday night in the US, when it was announced that Ynon Kreiz will be leaving his role as Chairman of Mattel to join Paramount as co-CEO, ahead of the media giant’s merger with Warner Bros.

Toy World has once again teamed up with Mattel to produce a supplement highlighting the company’s key brands and latest news.

Nathan Baynard, Vice President and Head of Barbie, Mattel, tells Toy World readers how the Dolls category is evolving and the role Mattel’s brands continue to play in culture.

The Barbie x gomi collaboration is turning waste into audio equipment, commenting on sustainability, designing for children, and consumer nostalgia.

With its painted windows and balloon-adorned entrance, it’s hard to deny the charming allure of Newton Centre’s Learning Express Toys & Gifts.

Gonzo’s most distinct feature is also his most baffling: his beak. (Or is it a nose?)

Lego fans young and old celebrate their love of the plastic bricks at a fan event in Denmark.

Suzy Raia, Executive Vice President, Global Consumer Products, BBC Studios, speaks on the launch of the new My Friend Maisy show and how nostalgia plays a key part in the brand’s appeal.

A new exhibition at the Museum at FIT in New York City showcases more than 170 objects that trace the often-unexpected relationship between dolls and fashion.

Six intriguing articles related to toys, games, and nostalgia that have hit the news this week.

The Oh, I Had That! YouTube channel revisits nostalgic favourites from the 1980s and 1990s.

The Video Game History Foundation expands its digital archive to include more than 5,000 video game magazines, marking another milestone in its ongoing effort to preserve the medium’s history.

Before it was Boggle, Allan Turoff’s word-finding game had a much more straightforward name: Find-A-Word.

The games created a new way of experiencing video games by building a 3D world in which events could unfold beyond the player’s line of sight.

Nintendo and Sega’s fierce battle reshaped the video game industry and helped define a generation of gaming.

After the success of the last promotion, McDonald’s and The Pokemon Company have announced that the McDonald’s x Pokemon fast food promotion is returning in the United States this November.

On Dec. 31, several Lego sets will become unavailable for official purchase.

Disney, Marvel Rivals, Harry Potter and Hello Kitty and Friends star in a new blind-box craft-and-collect range.

The new Gabby’s Dollhouse companion series expands the global pre-school franchise with new characters, stories and opportunities for licensees and retailers.

The collaboration will give young fans a new way to explore numbers, characters and early learning through the distinctive squishy construction play of Jelly Blox.

The movie is in development by Rideback and Sesame Workshop.

Kids can use themed magnetic tiles to recreate scenes from the show soon.

Stoney Clover Lane celebrates American Girl’s 40th anniversary with an assortment of bags and accessories inspired by their beloved dolls.

Hallmark is growing its portfolio to 20 licensing partners.

Spin Master is expanding its 'Gabby's Dollhouse' portfolio with new toys, including an Advent calendar and a playset.

After the success of its Jurassic World Primal Hatch, Spin Master is now opening the franchise’s gates to a new generation of fans.

Parents can now avoid the age-old question of "are we there yet?"

Jennifer Coleman, senior vice president, licensing and marketing, Konami Cross Media NY, highlights how IPs like “Yu-Gi-Oh!,” “Frogger” and more have endured years in the market.

Universal crossed $5 billion at the 2026 global box office thanks to "The Odyssey," "Super Mario Galaxy Movie," "Michael," "Minions" and "Obsession."

A new “Star Wars” movie is currently in development with director Jon Watts, Variety can confirm.

Prime Video is closing in on an order for a new series set in Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters based on the popular Clone Saga storyline from the Marvel Comics.

Maestro Media’s expanded partnership with Grimoire Garage signals an effort to turn REWIND from a successful game into a repeatable platform for licensed IP.

The launch of the first officially licensed Rocky Horror Show bobbleheads highlights how legacy entertainment properties continue to create opportunities in the adult collectibles market.

The director of the latest Resident Evil movie glanced past the details to capture the franchise’s spirit.

It can't be Paramount Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery. So that leaves a few options...

CBS and MTV VMAs ratings bring in combined 8.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched since 2015 and up 51% from last year.

26 new lines bring open-ended, nature-led play to UK early years settings, complementing Commotion's existing education portfolio.

Major feature-length investments alongside fresh storytelling from iconic franchises such as Scooby-Doo are driving strong licensing interest.

Lynch succeeds Ynon Kreiz, who will step down as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer effective October 2, 2026, to take a senior leadership position at another public company.

The licensed housewares specialist is investing in operational leadership to drive its next phase of eCommerce and international growth.

Lionel Brands Group is welcoming industry veteran Jennifer Bizeur aboard as its new Chief Marketing Officer.

Matthew Lauderbach joins the ranks at Paladone WeCool as its new Product Development Director with more than 25 years of experience.

From 3-inch Super Soakers to mini Rubik’s Cubes, Alan Dorfman is obsessed with turning classic products into tiny, working realities.

High schoolers Daniel Zhang and Zachary Tou created a strategy-based card game called Tumor Tactics to teach young kids about cancer.

Folkmanis Puppets celebrates 50 years in Emeryville, tracing the family-run company from its Berkeley beginnings to its longtime Park Avenue home.

"As a young designer, I had plenty of ideas about what children might do with this simple shell. They've spent the last quarter of a century showing me everything I hadn't thought of."

"This year I discovered the power of AI to help me run our tiny retail store. A few uses: - Inventory analysis, running automated reports each night - Looking at our product mix and sales trends to see what categories we should expand or contract"

ACD has added the Lviv-based publisher's debut title Aridnyk and upcoming George Orwell-inspired game 1984: Unperson to its extensive catalogue, a year after the first title's $132,000 Kickstarter success.

The employee-owned gifting retailer makes its Irish debut in Belfast as it accelerates its long-term growth strategy.

The new campaign film celebrates the people, passion and purpose behind retail as Spring Fair opens its Love Letter to Retail.

The new open-ended building set combines FSC-certified wood, sparkling gems and creative construction for endless play possibilities.

Paramount's Ruth Henriquez, Vice President, Products and Experiences, EMEA, tells Toy World why putting consumers at the heart of its strategy, attracting new generations of fans and creating authentic partnerships will be key to TMNT’s next chapter.

Mahattan Toy announces the return of Groovy Girls, with each doll encouraging imaginative play and celebrating the values of friendship.

A Holiday Company is taking Jazwares’ plush powerhouse into seasonal home décor with a new licensed inflatable line.

Chuck E. Cheese’s Adventure World will bring playtime exploration to kids nationwide with 20 locations coming this year and in 2027.

Blake Changnon, president, CEO, and founder of The Changnon Family Museum of Toys and Collectibles, explores the creative products that expanded the American Girl brand beyond the dolls.

For the toy industry, Dollar General’s holiday strategy highlights the growing importance of value retail as a meaningful toy channel, particularly as families remain focused on affordability.

Perkins Restaurant & Bakery’s limited-edition mahjong set is an interesting example of how games are moving beyond traditional toy and hobby retail and becoming tools for experiential brand marketing.

New CEO Greg Foran, who used to work at the giant retailer, has brought to the grocer its emphasis on everyday low prices.

In the October issue of Toy World, Andy Yeatman, CEO, Miraculous Corp USA and Global Operations, shares how the Miraculous brand is positioning itself for its next decade.

Preschoolers have lots of big ideas, so Lovevery is launching a new activity table that keeps up with their curiosity.

The company has also divested or shuttered a number of key studios such as Double Fine, Compulsion, Tango Gameworks, and more in recent years.

Studio co-president Neil Druckmann says both will expand the story beyond Part I and Part II, while Intergalactic will get a full reveal in 2027.

The acclaimed The Legend of Zelda franchise is celebrating its 40th anniversary and to commemorate the event several Nintendo stores have put up special Zelda-themed displays for customers to check out.

SEGA has been busy celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35th anniversary and as the company has previously said, more is to come.

The latest Japanese physical software and hardware charts are now in from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Sonic Team boss Takashi Iizuka has been doing the media rounds lately to further celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 35th anniversary.

SEGA and Atlus have announced in a recent report that the acclaimed Persona series sales currently stand at 30 million copies sold worldwide.

PAC-MAN on NEX is a strong example of how legacy entertainment IP can be reinvented for today’s family play market without losing what made the property recognizable in the first place.

Retro gaming gear like EarthBound and Pikachu N64 consoles hold significant resale value if original packaging is kept.

Grasshopper Manufacture, known for its unconventional games, is parting ways with Chinese conglomerate NetEase.

Jasey’s Toy Chest announced that its On-the-Go Wooden Workbench has been named a winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2026 Toy Awards within the Baby & Toddler category. “To be recognized by Good Housekeeping, a name families have trusted for generations, is an incredible honor for a company in its very first year,” said Brian Bernstein, Founder and CEO of Jasey’s Toy Chest. “We pour so much care into making toys that are built to last and full of play value, and to have that recognized by the Good Housekeeping Institute means the world to our family.”

Any regulatory changes to the UK’s toy safety framework must provide businesses with certainty and address both emerging technologies and new routes to market, experts have said. 

The toy industry came together at The Toy Foundation's (TTF) Golf & Give FUNdraiser on September 16 for an evening of networking, golf, and giving back that raised $470,000 to benefit children whose lives were upended by the Los Angeles wildfires.

Carve Communications announced that it will be hosting Carve-X, The Ultimate Media Experience, on-site at Toy Fair New York 2027.

The Arclight Games title is a reworking of Hayashi's 2022 Japanese release of the same name, with Barrage and Darwin's Journey co-designer Simone Luciani acting as a developer for the new version.

Mori's recent designs include As d’Or winner Toy Battle, Spiel des Jahres nominee Captain Flip and historical titles Battalion: War of the Ancients and Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars.

The 2026 Spooky Awards finalists represent the very best in these categories. Each entry was evaluated by a panel of industry experts on Innovation, Marketability, Trendsetting Potential, Appeal, and Usefulness.

This October half term, Hamleys will host free daily parades, puppet shows, spooky stories and dragon displays joined by a star-studded line-up of guest characters.

This year’s FamFest will take place on 19th November at Picturehouse Central under the theme of 'To Affinity & Beyond'.

Brand Licensing Europe returns to Excel London from 6th-8th October, with record exhibitor numbers, 90 newcomers, The Beatles, Harry Potter, Bluey, Minecraft and more.

Posh Paws will be at BLE for the first time this year, showcasing its expansion of Kawaii Kuties into new toy and gifting categories.

The collaboration, brokered by WildBrain CPLG, will explore destination concepts based on The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, and other Dr. Seuss properties.

This year’s TAGIEs will also kick off People of Play’s Star Wars 50th anniversary celebration with the theme “The Force of Play,” which will honor five decades since Star Wars: A New Hope debuted on May 25, 1977.

The 2026 Journée Presse & Influence demonstrates how the toy industry’s media strategy is expanding beyond traditional press relations into a broader mix of journalists, influencers and content creators.

"Great event with customers stopping by to learn and experience this new innovation from Hasbro!"

Game Store Day, GAMA's annual initiative aimed at getting more people into local game stores to play, shop and take part in events, is growing for its second year after retailers and publishers were given substantially more time to prepare than for its debut.

The International Pavilions by Spielwarenmesse Group continue to offer companies attractive opportunities in 2027, perfect for entering new, international markets and establishing valuable business contacts.

The hugely successful and well-known independent retail owner passed away last week, with the funeral due to take place this Friday.

The actor best known for portraying Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” has died. He was 75.