There are some interesting updates on Mega Bloks I wanted to share with you today. As I have mentioned previously (see links at the end of this post), I occasionally dabble in the higher quality and very detailed Mega Bloks Collectors series sets like Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, Destiny, Halo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Star Trek. 🙂
Mattel (who owns Mega Bloks) recently resurrected the Construx brand name (which used to be another type of construction toy owned by Fisher Price in the 1980s), and now all the brick-based sets are under the Mega Construx branding instead of Mega Bloks. This means that the new 2017 Mega Bloks construction sets will have the Mega Construx name and logo. Besides the name change, the boxes also got more modern looking artwork, to differentiate the new sets from the old ones. In addition, there is also a new Mega Construx website, which launched at the beginning of January. You can check it out at MegaConstrux.com.
As fans are quite confused and concerned about all these changes and what they mean, Mega Bloks set up a FAQ section on their collectors’ forum. I’m not sure how long the old forum will be kept alive and how much will be transferred over to the new site, so I have copied the relevant information below. It addresses most of the questions.
➡ What is Mega Construx? – Mega Construx is a new construction toy brand in the MEGA brands portfolio, made to immerse and connect kids 4+ and collectors with worlds they love. Mega Construx aims to challenges the status quo with authentic details and unexpected play experiences with highly detailed micro-figures, authentic translation of properties, and unique build-to-play features for each consumer.
➡ Is Mega Bloks changing its name to Mega Construx? – No, Mega Bloks will still exist as a brand that inspires preschoolers 1-5 to achieve their potential through building play. Mega Construx will be launching as a sibling brand to immerse and connect kids 4+ and collectors with worlds they love, with authentic details and unexpected build and play experiences.
➡ Why the new identity? – This change is about more than just a new name. With Mega Construx, we wanted to create something to immerse kids and construction fans in the worlds they love! With product lines based on popular entertainment, toy and gaming franchises, Mega Construx aims to provide unexpected play experiences that empower fans to build their own worlds, redefine expectations, and discover new possibilities. From top-quality design and manufacturing to authentic details, action-packed play features, innovative materials, and content that connects fans, we don’t just make toys, we create experiences!
➡ Is Mega Construx a new company? – No. Mega Construx is a new brand of construction toys from the same maker as Mega Bloks. Mega Bloks and Mega Construx are sibling brands, and both part of the MEGA construction brand within the Mattel family.
➡ What’s happening to my favorite product lines? – Not to worry. Aside from preschool licenses, most of your favorite Mega product lines are coming to Mega Construx. This includes Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, TMNT, Despicable Me, American Girl and many more. We’re even adding some exciting new product lines for you to discover!
➡ Will Mega Construx sets be compatible with my old Mega Bloks sets? – Yes. Mega Construx is from the makers of Mega Bloks, and all sets will be compatible with existing standard size bricks, including current Mega Bloks sets for builders 4+.
➡ What’s going to happen to my Mega Bloks website account? – If you have an existing Mega Bloks account, don’t worry. It’s not going away. Your account will continue to exist as a MEGA account. With your MEGA account, you will be able to log into the new Mega Construx site, and your info, settings, and preferences will all stay the same. And don’t worry, your forum posts and gallery images aren’t going anywhere!
As you can see, the idea is to move the brick-based sets aimed at older kids under the Mega Construx name. The Mega Bloks Collectors sets are specifically mentioned (Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, etc.), and also some of the regular collections like Despicable Me and American Girl. It is interesting to note however that some sets meant for younger kids with LEGO DUPLO-size bricks also have the Mega Construx logo, so it is still not completely clear what will remain under the Mega Bloks brand and what will move under Mega Construx. Perhaps the whole name change is part of a larger plan as Mattel is shifting around their toy categories. (Mattel has their own toy lines, and they acquired Mega Bloks in 2014.)
As I mentioned at the beginning there is also a new Mega Construx website, which launched on the 4th of January. The new site is pretty much just a shell right now, as the links on any category still lead to the old website. This is probably another area of the transition that will take a while to sort out. The new site is similar to the old ones with product categories, forums, galleries, games, etc. You can visit it here: MegaConstrux.com
So if you have been collecting any of the Mega Bloks sets, or just occasionally getting a few, don’t get confused if you no longer find the familiar Mega Bloks boxes at the store. While the older sets still on shelves will have the Mega Bloks logo, the 2017 sets will be named Mega Construx. But they are all the same. I have included some box images for you here, so you can see how they look.
If you are interested in the new Mega Construx sets they are just starting to trickle in to retailers, so it is still a bit hard to find them, and they are also available on eBay: MEGA CONSTRUX ON EBAY
What do you think? Do you collect any of the Mega Bloks sets? What do you think of the name change? And what do you think the future will bring to Mega Bloks a.k.a. Mega Construx? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
Wow! That Samurai Leonardo! Gotta have that one! I don’t understand why they changed the name. It’s like if Lego would change their name to something else nobody ever heard of. MB is well known and liked by many. This name change will simply cause confusion.
Yeah, it is not completely clear to me either why they went with the name change. Perhaps they want to differentiate their higher end products from Mega Bloks reputation of being lower quality? The Collectors sets are definitely not low quality, but some people still feel that way because they are Mega Bloks. Maybe having a new name will give them a fresh start – kind of like a second chance.
I believe they are trying to have a better reputation as Mega Bloks is actually not liked by many if the source pool is building toy fans.
I thought of that too, but then they could just have used a completely different name. With Mega in there, most people would know it is the same thing. Mega Bloks is usually not liked by LEGO fans, but they do in fact have plenty of very dedicated fans of their own. I would say that their best course would be to stop trying to be a LEGO imitator, and have more faith in their own products. They make the best mass-produced small action figures, and their construction system is decent. They aren’t going to be able to compete with LEGO purely as a construction toy. It is their micro action figures and interesting licenses that gives them an edge.
How Compatible is YEIBOBO! with Mega Construx with regards to their playsets and figures? Are they interchangeable? Can they be combined?
Jeremy, YEIBOBO copies (steals) Mega Construx designs, so they are fully compatible, but the quality is much worse, especially for the figures. I would suggest reading review comments and looking at the pictures on their Amazon listings to give you an idea of what you can expect. Here is a listing for several of their products: https://amzn.to/3w3S0kH
I agree with Brickmaster. The samurai looks AWESOME! Do the other turtles also have samurai outfits? If yes, they will be a must buy! I don’t care for the name change, but the new orange background for the logo is very distinct, which will make the sets stand out. So I think that’s good.
Leonardo is the only one with a samurai armor in the new wave. Michelangelo has a party dude outfit, Raphael a human disguise mask and trench-coat, and Donatello is just regular. They each come in their own packs. And they all have those gorgeous printed comics tiles I wrote about before. You can see the new sets here (toward the bottom of the page): https://www.megabloks.com/en-us/shop/construction-toys/tmnt-collectors/
Not a lot of building in most of those, though… Although the Party Wagon looks pretty good… (At least from the outside, but that’s what you’d generally see of it, anyway…)
There are some good building ones as well, particularly in the Eastman and Laird collection. Personally I don’t buy MB for the building experience, as LEGO is still superior. However their mini action figures are amazing, and they also have some very nice printed parts. All decorations in the Collector series sets are printed. 🙂
In my opinion their TMNT have been some of the best. Halo and Call of Duty are great, but can be very repetitive. I was really looking forward to the new Halo collectible figures (the ones with the stand), because the first two series were great, but the third wave that was released this year is not very good. On the other hand TMNT have something interesting and unique in every new collection. Also, Star Treck is great, but I don’t see them listed at the shop any more. Are they discontinued?
Hm… now they you mention, yes, the Star Trek sets are no longer listed at their shop. But they are still listed under the Collectors website. Perhaps they have no plans to release any more sets?
I agree with the repetitiveness of the Call of Duty and Halo sets. They have been two of the oldest MB lines, so it is understandable. They are attempting to update all the old sets with the new ultra-poseable characters, so that’s one of the reason for the repetition. I’m also skipping the third wave of the Halo figures. They are just not very special, nor do they look particularly good.
The older TMNT action figures also tried something new constantly, just amping up the general wackiness…
It seems that they were originally produced by the company Playmates Toys…
Maybe they changed the name to indicate that their quality is improving, since it was MB (Mega Bloks) and now it’s MC (Mega Construx). If before MB it was MA (Mega Assembles, or something), we get: MA, MB, MC. The quality improves with each letter. 😉
In all seriousness, I can’t say I like the name change either. “Bloks” is a lot easier to say and think of than “construx”, and therefore it will always be Mega Bloks to me. While I don’t buy MB, I do wonder what those “exciting new product lines” will be. More licensed properties? Or perhaps some standard brick kits, similar to LEGO Classic. That would be nice, since they seem to mostly produce specialized parts for every set.
BTW, both these sets have just become available: http://brickset.com/sets/theme-Miscellaneous/year-2017 I really like the Chess set, and $55 is not a bad price, for the number of parts. There’s also a free Nexo Knights set (#30376) with any purchase from that theme running from now until the 31st on LEGO Shop. 🙂
Oh, interesting, I should write about those too. I knew about the Calendar, but not the new Chess Set. Pretty cool. You are right, MegaBloks just rolls off the tongue better than Mega Construx. As far as what the new lines are going to be I haven’t heard anything, but I do know that the Collectors line is specifically for licensed sets. They know that’s where they make money. They can’t compete with LEGO in brick quality. But they have been getting much better with having their own system, and sticking with it. Their new Collectible sets actually don’t contain that many specialized parts.
I can’t really understand that reasoning. The old name was and is a very famous brand…
Aahhh… Classic Chess, I’d rather have thought Lego would go on their standard route and do a Nexo Knights Chess set…
Anyway, I don’t know what these red and blue and green parts by the sides are, are they a way to keep score or something like that?…
I haven’t really played chess on a professional level, and mostly I’ve lost as an amateur…
My reasoning was to be funny. It went from B to C, so with an A in front it’s the alphabet. I don’t know why they changed the name, and probably no one will, unless MB – sorry, MC tell us themselves. Like you said, it’s a pretty famous name.
Nexo Knights chess would be an unusual set, and it could have potential, if anyone in Nexo Knights’ target audience actually played chess these days. It would be interesting to see.
According to 40174’s set description, the red and blue pieces are included for playing Checkers, which was a good idea in my opinion. However I’m as mystified as you are about the green parts. They might be supports for something, used when the pieces are put inside….
The green pieces are used as spacers for stacking the two sides of the chess board. You separate the chess-board into two parts, add the green studs on the top, and then add the second half of the chess board. They are basically used so that the surface of the two sides don’t stick together too much. I think it’s kind of a lazy solution, but it does the job.
maybe they changed it because mb stands for milton bradley
What terrible naming. So Mega Construx, which is compatible with Mega Bloks (and Lego) is not compatible with actual Construx.
Yeah, quite confusing, isn’t it? 🙄
The name change is a mouthful and confusing. I hope Mattel doesn’t dissolve the once-Canadian owned brand name altogether. “Mega Bloks” is a well known name, and the quality has improved immensely since it first came out. Perhaps they just hope the re-branding will create more interest into their collector or older themed franchises in case their was confusion prior to that with what is more for the younger set – such as with TMNT. I wonder how this affects the Kubros line.
Mattel seems to be scrambling to make changes. They sold off the rights to their decades old property of He-Man to another company, they rebooted Monster High and Ever After High dolls despite fan outrage and in an attempt to make up sales for losing “Disney Princesses” to Hasbro. Now this.
Craig, it’s interesting to see the changes with Mega Bloks put into a larger perspective like that. I’m not that familiar with all the changes at Mattel, and only focus on MB, so your summary is greatly appreciated. The 2017 Kubros sets do come in the new Mega Construx labeled boxes, but that’s all I know.
Anyone out there know if they will continue to make Star Trek sets for 2017?
Star Trek has been taken down from their website, and also from their online store, so it is very likely that there will be no more sets.
Seems to be the prices will just go higher with the new name or possibly aiming to be as expensive as lego but still quality is quality, anyway I remember MB use to be less expensive but currently they are getting more expensive.
Yes, I noticed the price increase too!
I love mega construx, never liked the he name mega bloks, always made me think of those giant bricks that toddlers play with, didn’t start purchasing these until I found a Captain Kirk at my local mattel liquidation center, with the glorious orange logo on the upper right.. makes me giddy every day time .. keep up the great work with the motu line mattel ❤️
Honestly i dont like what Mattel is doing to megablocks. I find its as if they are tying to make it a completely different company that just makes the same stuff. I wish megablocks was still owned by the original makers in Canada. That’s one of the reasons I loved megablocks was because it was owned and made in Canada (at Montreal). I don’t like the big brands who buy out little company’s like Mattel, to them it’s just money but for he old megablocks it was about giving things to people that Lego never did, differing topics and so on. Personally I hate the name change, it makes it somthing different and less reconisable.
I understand what you mean, and I don’t like the name change either, however keep in mind that Mega has been on the brink of bankruptcy since 2008. They really had no choice but to sell or fold due to their own mistakes. They did pretty well until 2006, but then they started buying a bunch of unrelated companies, which led them into a financial mess. Mattel was a fair buyer, and in many ways they saved the brand. They are doing what they feel is the best for the long-term health of the company. As long as they keep up the increased quality and interesting collections, I don’t think the name change is such a big deal. I think it’s worth giving them a chance. 🙂
I have a collection of 21 unopened Mega Bloks Dragon Krystal Wars kits, including (6) 9895 Man-O-Wars and two 35 gal. totes of spare pieces for all kits. What would be the best sites for me to market these?
Doug, I would say that eBay would be your best option. There is also a Mega Construx fan group on Facebook and a couple of groups on Reddit, and you can mention there that you have these items on sale. But I would still list them on eBay for your own protection.