Recently, Mattel unveiled the establishment of Mattel Game Studios, a worldwide development organization dedicated to creating games based on the company’s intellectual property. This announcement comes on the heels of Mattel’s complete acquisition of Mattel163 in February, a joint venture previously shared with NetEase.
With a team of almost 300 professionals spanning artists, designers, engineers, live operations experts, and producers in Los Angeles and Hangzhou, Mattel Games Studios is set to manage the company’s current mobile games, upcoming free-to-play titles, and collaborations with popular platforms like Roblox and Fortnite. It will operate under the umbrella of Mattel Digital Studios, which oversees licensed releases.
The game portfolio established by Mattel163 already includes successful mobile games such as UNO!, UNO Wonder, Phase 10, and Skip-Bo, boasting over 550 million downloads globally and around 20 million active players each month.
The debut title from the newly launched Marvel Game Studios, Skeletor: Until Next Time!, an endless runner inspired by the Masters of the Universe franchise, was released in June. Currently, the studio is actively developing UNO Wild, in its soft launch phase, and an upcoming Hot Wheels game.
This strategic move by Mattel into developing its own gaming titles comes in response to the remarkable success enjoyed by rival toy company Hasbro, particularly with hit games like Monopoly Go and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Marcus Liassides, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Mattel Digital Studios, expressed, “Mattel Game Studios allows us to expand our reach and capabilities in creating and publishing original gaming experiences inspired by our beloved brands. Combined with our successful partnerships across the industry, this move enhances our ability to engage fans through exceptional games on all platforms.”