Mattel Game Studios Launches With Nearly 300 Developers to Create New Barbie, Hot Wheels, UNO and Roblox Games

Mattel Is Taking Gaming Seriously With a New 300-Person Studio Focused on Hot Wheels, UNO, Barbie and Roblox

The company is building a dedicated gaming operation with nearly 300 artists, designers, engineers, producers and live-operations specialists across Los Angeles and Hangzhou.

For gamers, the most interesting part is where these new projects could appear.

Mattel says the studio will work across mobile games, free-to-play projects and experiences for creator platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite.

That could eventually turn some of the company's biggest toy brands into major gaming properties.

What Is Mattel Game Studios?

Mattel Game Studios is a new global gaming organization operating under Mattel Digital Studios.

Its purpose is to give Mattel greater control over the development, publishing and long-term operation of games based on its intellectual properties.

The studio brings together nearly 300 people in Los Angeles and Hangzhou. Its responsibilities include managing Mattel's existing mobile-game portfolio while also developing new games and interactive experiences.

This represents a major change in strategy.

For years, Mattel has worked with outside companies to turn its brands into games. The new structure gives the company the ability to build and publish more projects itself while continuing to work with external partners.

That combination could allow Mattel to experiment with different types of games without depending entirely on traditional licensing arrangements.

Which Mattel Brands Could Become Games?

Mattel owns one of the strongest collections of family entertainment brands in the world.

The company's portfolio includes:

Barbie
Hot Wheels
UNO
Masters of the Universe
Matchbox
Monster High
Polly Pocket
Thomas & Friends
Fisher-Price
American Girl

Not every brand has been announced as a new game, so players should not assume that every franchise is currently in development.

However, Mattel's new strategy creates opportunities to build games around these properties across multiple platforms.

Hot Wheels, for example, naturally fits racing and arcade-style games.

UNO could support competitive multiplayer experiences.

Masters of the Universe can easily translate into action and adventure games.

Barbie could work across life simulation, social and creator-driven experiences.

The interesting question is not whether these brands can become games.

It is how ambitious Mattel wants those games to become.

Roblox and Fortnite Are Part of the Plan

One of the most important details for online gamers is Mattel's focus on Roblox and Fortnite.

Mattel Game Studios will create experiences for user-generated-content platforms including these two major gaming ecosystems.

This is strategically important because Roblox and Fortnite are no longer simply individual games.

They have developed into massive platforms where brands can build interactive experiences and reach large communities without creating a completely independent game from scratch.

Mattel already has experience with Roblox.

The company previously partnered around Matchbox content on Roblox, and TheInfoBytes has previously covered Roblox's expanding creator ecosystem and major brand partnerships.

The new studio could take that strategy much further.

Instead of treating Roblox as a place for occasional branded events, Mattel can potentially use it as one part of a larger gaming strategy.

Mattel Is Also Targeting Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming is another major part of the company's plan.

Mattel Game Studios will manage existing mobile titles while developing new free-to-play games.

This makes sense because Mattel already has experience in this market through Mattel163, the mobile-game business that was previously connected to NetEase.

Mattel completed the acquisition of NetEase's remaining stake in Mattel163 earlier in 2026, allowing the company to bring that operation fully under its control.

The resulting organization gives Mattel access to developers and teams with experience in mobile publishing, live operations and free-to-play games.

That experience could be important as Mattel expands beyond traditional toy products.

Mattel Already Has New Games in Development

The new studio is not starting with an empty portfolio.

Mattel's first self-published mobile title under the broader digital-games strategy was Skeletor: Until Next Time!, based on Masters of the Universe. It launched in June 2026.

Another project, UNO Wild, is currently in soft launch.

Mattel has also confirmed that a new Hot Wheels game is in development.

These projects provide an early indication of the company's direction.

Rather than attempting to create one enormous AAA game immediately, Mattel appears to be building a portfolio across mobile, free-to-play and creator platforms.

That approach could allow the company to test different brands and genres before committing to larger productions.

Why This Matters for Roblox Players

The Roblox connection could become one of the most important parts of Mattel's strategy.

Roblox gives companies a way to create branded worlds where players can interact with familiar characters, vehicles and products.

For Mattel, this could mean more than simply placing a logo inside an existing experience.

Imagine a Hot Wheels racing world built around large-scale multiplayer events.

A Barbie social experience could focus on customization, homes and community interaction.

Masters of the Universe could become an action-oriented adventure experience.

These are possibilities rather than confirmed projects, but Mattel's decision to specifically include Roblox in its new gaming strategy makes this area worth watching.

Why Mattel Is Building Its Own Gaming Operation

The bigger business story is control.

When a company licenses an intellectual property to another developer, the external studio controls much of the development process.

Mattel's new structure allows it to become more directly involved in game development, publishing, marketing and live operations.

That can help the company maintain stronger control over how its brands are represented.

It can also create longer-term opportunities.

A successful mobile game can receive updates for years.

A successful Roblox experience can continuously evolve.

A popular Hot Wheels game can introduce new vehicles and events.

This gives Mattel more ways to keep its brands active between physical product launches.

The Free-to-Play Strategy Could Be Important

Mattel's focus on free-to-play games also shows where it sees potential growth.

Free-to-play games can build large player communities before asking players to spend money on optional content.

For a company with globally recognized brands, this model can be particularly attractive because the brand itself can help bring players into the experience.

Mattel's existing digital-gaming operations already have experience with mobile titles such as UNO!, UNO Wonder, Phase 10 and Skip-Bo. These games have collectively surpassed hundreds of millions of downloads, according to industry reporting.

That gives the new organization a foundation rather than forcing Mattel to build its gaming expertise from zero.

Could Mattel Eventually Make Bigger Console Games?

That remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

Mattel has not announced a major new AAA console game as part of this launch.

The current strategy is heavily focused on mobile, free-to-play and creator platforms.

However, the company is building an organization capable of managing broader gaming operations, and its jobs and studio information show an emphasis on digital games, publishing and partnerships across the industry.

That means a larger console project is not something readers should treat as confirmed, but it is easy to see why the possibility will attract attention.

The company's brands have enough recognition to support larger projects if the right development partner and budget are eventually found.

What This Means for Gaming in 2026

Mattel's move is part of a larger shift in the entertainment industry.

Companies that traditionally made toys, movies or television content increasingly see games as a major way to keep audiences engaged.

Gaming is no longer simply another form of entertainment licensing.

For brands such as Barbie and Hot Wheels, games can become ongoing digital worlds where players return regularly.

That is particularly important for younger audiences who already spend significant amounts of time on platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite.

Mattel's decision to establish a dedicated studio suggests the company believes this relationship between physical products and digital gaming will become even more important.

What Players Should Watch Next

The next major question is what Mattel Game Studios announces after its launch.

The company already has several projects in motion, but its larger portfolio could eventually include more recognizable brands.

Players should watch for announcements involving:

New Hot Wheels games
UNO projects
Roblox experiences
Fortnite collaborations
New Masters of the Universe games
Additional mobile titles
New free-to-play projects
Future partnerships with external developers

For now, none of those possibilities should be treated as confirmed unless Mattel officially announces them.

Mattel is no longer treating video games as a side business.

With Mattel Game Studios, the company is building a dedicated organization of nearly 300 gaming professionals and giving itself greater control over the development and publishing of games based on its most recognizable brands.

The combination of mobile gaming, free-to-play titles, Roblox and Fortnite experiences gives the company several ways to reach players.

The first projects are already providing clues about the strategy, with Skeletor: Until Next Time!, UNO Wild and a new Hot Wheels game among the projects connected to the company's growing digital operation.

The biggest story, however, may come later.

If Mattel can successfully turn its huge collection of toy brands into engaging long-term gaming experiences, the company could become a much more important player in the games industry than it has been in the past.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mattel Game Studios?

Mattel Game Studios is Mattel's new global gaming organization focused on developing, publishing and operating digital games and interactive experiences based on the company's intellectual properties.

How many people work at Mattel Game Studios?

The new organization brings together nearly 300 artists, designers, engineers, producers and live-operations specialists across Los Angeles and Hangzhou.