New York Toy Fair 2025 is this week! I’m traveling to New York with a schedule full of appointments, ready to see what toy companies are lining up for 2025 and maybe a little bit of beyond. This is a pretty big show, and I’ve been attending since 2011. It’s at this event that I get to speak in person with teams at Hasbro, Dart Zone, and Zing about what to expect for 2025. We see a lot of new product, some product that never gets to store shelves, and rub shoulders with buyers from toy stores and other sectors across the toy industry.
Some interesting notes for New York Toy Fair 2025:
Exhibitors not at this show (according to the Toy Fair website)
- XShot
- NSI
- MGA Entertainment (there were rumors about them debuting a blaster line themselves)
- Buzz Bee Toys
Who WILL be in attendance –
- Hasbro
- Dart Zone
- Zing Toys
PREDICTIONS:
Hasbro already sent out their preview email, so some stuff to expect would be more Minecraft (some new products are already out on shelves), Super Soakers (because this time of year is usually when water blasters get pushed), and tons more licensed/apparel/lifestyle items. With Hasbro’s new “playing to win” strategy, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some midrange/mid cost blasters at this point of the year, and a focus more on sports equipment and other Nerf products licensed out to Franklin Sports and other more general play segments. The visit to Rhode Island last year showed that the blaster space has a lot of rules and regulations in different countries, so why not pivot to more general items that are easier to sell in more countries? Nerf was a ball before a blaster, after all. I have some thoughts on the new strategy, and I’ll go over that on my YouTube.
Nerf Predictions:
More sports/general play toys. We’ll see more N-Series of course, and a few streamline blasters but the focus going forward will be N-Series. I think we’ll see a new license, in addition to the Minecraft and Fortnite blasters.
Dart Zone I feel is gonna continue to carve out their niche for the direct to consumer crowd, if not improving on already available blasters like the Venom and Stryker, adding more Pro level blasters to the mix. The Buccaneer and the Renegade are already available in Australia, and word has it there’s more on the way still for the non-Pro crowd. Dart Zone does offer some of the best prices on quality blasters that you can get, so I’m excited to get the full rundown and to see what’s next.
Dart Zone Predictions:
A new license, they’ve done Jurassic World, Stranger Things, what’s one more? They’re due. It looks like they’re teasing an update to the Venom as well. I think the mk III might be the next candidate for an update as well, so a new motorized rifle style blaster could be on the horizon. They were still working on TAG darts, so that hasn’t left the discussion either.
Zing Toys has the license to make Cyberpunk replicas, and BOY DID THEY. Skippy is already available, but they will be BRINGING THE ICONIC ERRATA AS WELL. I believe it was already seen at SDCC, but I’ll be sure to find it at NY Toy Fair as well! Of course, I expect to see more of their bows, the Stik Bots, and other outdoor play toys, but their foray into blasters has been one of my favorite stories to follow. Hope we get an update on Guts as well. I think Hog Wild also falls under their brand now as well, so it’ll be nice to see some kid-friendly products as well.
Zing Predictions:
Maybe they’ll announce new blasters in the works under Cyberpunk, but it’s unlikely as the Errata seems to be the main focus. It’s possible new licenses may want to work with Zing, as they have Cyberpunk now, they did Avatar, and if anyone did a Witcher crossbow, I wouldn’t be mad if it were Zing.
Of course, we’ll find out soon enough. New York Toy Fair starts March 1, 2025.
Note – If it looks like I have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s because I’m not on any special leak groups or discord servers. Sometimes, I just like to be surprised.
Foam From Above 