Mattel has launched an internal game studio with nearly 300 staff to self-publish titles based on Hot Wheels, UNO, and more

Mattel Game Studios

Mattel has announced the formation of Mattel Game Studios, a new in-house developer and publisher with nearly 300 staff across Los Angeles and Hangzhou. The move signals a push to take direct control of games based on its own IP, rather than relying solely on licensing deals with third-party publishers.

The details:

As reported by Variety, Mattel Game Studios employs artists, designers, engineers, live operations specialists, and producers. It is a formal expansion following Mattel's full acquisition of mobile game studio Mattel163 earlier in 2026.
The studio's first self-published release was Skeletor: Until Next Time, an endless runner mobile game based on Masters of the Universe, which launched in June. Next up is UNO Wild, currently in soft launch, with a new Hot Wheels game also in development.
Mattel Game Studios sits under the wider Mattel Digital Studios umbrella, which continues to handle games the company licenses out to other publishers. That slate includes Barbie Rewind, Hot Wheels Infinite Rush, and Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction.
The announcement lands as Mattel's broader IP push gains momentum. Masters of the Universe hit theatres earlier this summer and is currently topping streaming charts. Matchbox: The Movie is coming to Apple TV this autumn, and a Hot Wheels movie is in development with Jon M. Chu directing and J.J. Abrams producing.

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