While toy companies continue to formulate new game plans in a market landscape brimming with tariff-fueled uncertainty, Mattel doesn’t seem to be slowing its roll on a broader business strategy rejig. 

At Licensing Expo in Vegas this week (May 20 to 22), the toyco has made a slew of announcements that reveal just how busy it’s been lately forging new L&M deals and producing fresh content for key franchises. 

The company just locked down a multi-year global licensing agreement with Playmobil that will yield a new toy range based on the Monster High franchise. Several lead figures and playsets are set to roll out in EMEA this fall before hitting the US, LatAm and APAC sometime in 2026.

On the gaming front, Mattel launched its first-ever all-brand mobile game this week—a puzzle-based adventure featuring signature franchises including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, Thomas & Friends, Uno and Masters of the Universe. This Mattel Match: Toybox Unlocked app was made in partnership with Canadian indie developer Uken Games.

Mattel is also rolling out a new Barbie Mysteries toy range this summer in the lead-up to launching a second season (eight x 25 minutes, pictured) of its same-name Netflix animated series on August 28. The collection will include dolls, playsets, vehicles and accessories based on a storyline in which the toon’s teen protagonists investigate a series of mysterious thefts at the Malibu Beach Bash festival.

All of these announcements come on the heels of Mattel’s promising Q1 earnings report earlier this month, which outlined a 2% year-over-year net sales uptick to US$827 million. However, the company scrapped its full-year financial forecast, citing uncertainties related to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. 

At the time of the quarterly report, plans were underway to introduce a 145% tariff on Chinese goods that was eventually lessened to 30% last week. In response to this exorbitantly high levy, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz announced his company would likely raise prices on US toys, noting that he didn’t expect to see any manufacturing move stateside—a statement that irked US President Donald Trump. 

Mattel is still looking to achieve its goal of diversifying its global manufacturing operation. In a CNBC interview in early May, Kreiz said that less than 40% of Mattel’s products will be sourced from China by the end of the year—and that no single country will represent more than 25% of Mattel’s sourcing by 2027.