Hasbro files trademark for Makits model kits, expanding hobby options
Hasbro’s new HASBRO MAKITS filing covers scale model kits and toy figures, hinting at a possible in-house lane for Transformers and G.I. Joe builders.
Hasbro has put a new model-kit trademark on the board, and the filing is broad enough to make miniature painters pay attention. The mark, HASBRO MAKITS, was filed May 22, 2026, is live and pending, and is awaiting assignment to an examining attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The application covers Class 028 goods, including scale model kits, toy models, toy figures, toy action figures and accessories therefor, and playsets for use with toy figures. The owner listed is Hasbro, Inc., at 1027 Newport Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and the filing names Hasbro in-house counsel Sara Beccia.
The real question is not the trademark itself, but what Hasbro does with it. If the company uses its own franchises rather than licensing them out to third-party kit makers, the most obvious winners could be painters who want recognizable plastic with built-in shelf appeal. Transformers and G.I. Joe are the obvious candidates, and both carry the kind of visual shorthand that helps a kit jump from desk project to display piece. For painters, that matters because the sweet spot is usually paintable surfaces, assembly that is interesting without becoming a slog, enough surface detail for shading and weathering, and a price that still feels approachable.
The filing also fits the way Hasbro has been talking to fans lately. Hasbro Pulse is the company’s official home for collectibles, fan favorites and action figures from Marvel, Star Wars, Transformers and G.I. Joe, and it leans hard into early access, exclusive content and HasLab crowd-funded projects. Hasbro’s Playing to Win strategy, unveiled on February 20, 2025, set a goal of expanding reach from over 500 million kids, families and fans to over 750 million by 2027. In its February 10, 2026 full-year results, Hasbro said it had engaged one billion fans, posted 14% full-year 2025 revenue growth, and saw Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming grow 45% while Consumer Products declined 4%.
That mix suggests a company looking for more direct-to-fan revenue streams, not just more shelf presence. For miniature painters, the upside is obvious if the kits are designed well: familiar IP, paintable surfaces and a reason to bring a brand-new plastic line onto the workbench. The uncertainty is just as real, because the filing does not say whether Makits will be snap-fit, highly detailed, beginner-friendly or premium, and that design choice will decide whether it becomes a curiosity or a real crossover line for the hobby.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
