Favorite Last Post Ever! Halo Toy News Moving to Gamer Toy News!

When I started Halo Toy News in 2012, we were still in the midst of a golden age for Halo toys, figures and collectibles. Five years later, that is unquestionably no longer the case. Licensors like Kotobukiya, Weta, Sideshow Collectibles, Diamond Select Toys, Square-Enix, McFarlane Toys, ThreeA Toys and NECA have all left Halo behind and moved on. I, on the other hand, am not.

I’ve moved to two new states and launched several new blogs in the past five years, and in that time, as the number of new Halo toys being released each year has slowed to a crawl, so has my interest in running a solely Halo-focused website. I like to talk–a lot–and it’s just not fun or interesting to me to have a website that realistically only needs to be updated a handful of times each year.

gamer-toy-news-headerAnd so, just as the beloved, long-running Halo Mega Bloks toy line has been rebranded into Halo Mega Construx this winter, I’ve made the difficult decision to rebrand Halo Toy News into Gamer Toy News.

From today onward, all of my news and reviews of current and future Halo toys and collectibles will be featured over at GamerToyNews.com, where I’ve already begun Halo coverage with my review of the Mattel Halo Fred 6″ figure and discussion of the first Mega Construx Halo Customizer Packs.

New York Toy Fair 2016 Dabid Meets Todd McFarlaneAs I’ve made hundreds of posts and reviews and uploaded thousands of photos onto Halo Toy News over the years, I’ve decided to leave this site up for the time being as an archive of some of the best years that there are likely to ever be in Halo collecting history. So if you feel the need to take a trip down memory lane and read about some Halo Minimates or the last waves of McFarlane Halo Reach figures or even the short-lived Micro Ops, all that content will still be here for you.

In addition, the Halo Toy News Facebook Page will remain active, and I’ll still post links to interesting sales and content, including mirrored articles from over on Gamer Toy News.

Loot Crate Halo Hooded T-Shirt on DabidBut if it’s news about future Mega Construx figures (plus blind bag series code number lists!) that you’re looking for or photos of upcoming Mattel Halo Collector’s figures or even new BoomCo guns, it’s Gamer Toy News where you’ll find those things from now on (along with expanded coverage of Street Fighter, First 4 Figures, World of Nintendo and more). Getting the first followers for a new site is always the hardest, so if you want to follow the Gamer Toy News Facebook Page, I’ll be eternally grateful for it.

Thanks for reading and for a great five years. It’s because of all of you that I’m still rambling about some manner of toys each and every day of my life–basically, my dream come true. Hope to see comments and old friends over on the new site as well, but if not, thanks so much for the good times.

This is Dabid, signing out for the last time ever on Halo Toy News. [/End Transmission]

Mega Bloks Halo Cobra Clash Summer 2016 Set Released!

Toys R Us Exclusive Mega Bloks Halo Cobra Clash Set Box

It’s been a long, long time since Halo Mega Bloks had to take a backseat in coverage to any other Halo toy line, but with the advent of the Mattel Halo Collectors Series, that time has come. But don’t worry, Mega Bloks fans! There’s plenty of exciting new sets left to talk about this year–including a Toys R Us store exclusive set that wasn’t even announced at Toy Fair 2016: the Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Cobra Clash set!

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Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 Cyclops Sets Up for Order!

Mega Bloks Halo Wars 2 Incinerator Cyclops Set Box

Mattel may not be the favorite toy company of every Halo fan out there, but there’s absolutely no denying that they’ve made collecting Halo toys more interesting right now than it has been in years!

And not only have the Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 sets just been restocked online, but the previously-released sets have company in the form of a new pair of sets: the Halo Wars 2 Cyclops sets are now available for order!

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Halo Mega Bloks Covenant Spirit Exclusive Set Photos!

Halo Mega Bloks Covenant Spirit Drop Ship

Let’s be honest: the fact that this year’s Mega Bloks Halo Signature Series set was going to be the Covenant Spirit wasn’t exactly a secret. In fact, we’ve been seeing prototypes and speculating about the Mega Bloks Spirit for years now, and MEGA Brands even confirmed the Signature Series Covenant Spirit in 2015. But today, things just got real: the Halo Mega Bloks Covenant Spirit set was officially announced today!

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Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 Sets Up for Order on Amazon!

Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Kodiak Siege Set

The Halo toy collecting world was shocked last month, when five of the Summer 2016 Halo Mega Bloks sets–including several sets never-before-seen–turned up for sale online at scalper prices! But patience has paid off (for those who were patient, anyway), as the Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 Sets are now available on Amazon with free shipping! But while the Kodiak Siege Cannon is finally available for order, a certain Spartan Red Leader has mysteriously disappeared…

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Halo 5 Series 2 Up on Amazon! Final McFarlane Figures!

McFarlane Halo 5 Buck Spartan Figure

The era… is over! The final wave of McFarlane Toys Halo figures started appearing at some retail stores such as Walgreens a few weeks ago, and now the series has finally reached the world’s largest internet retailer.

If you’ve been waiting to order your Halo 5 Series 2 figures from Amazon, now is your time: Spartan Buck and the rest of the last-ever McFarlane Halo figures are now in-stock!

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Halo Mega Bloks Covenant Wraith Ambush Summer 2016 Set!

Mega Bloks Halo Covenant Wraith Ambush 31844 Set Box

Believe me, the complaints have not fallen on deaf ears. I felt like Mattel dropped by the ball by showing off virtually no new Halo Mega Bloks sets at the 2016 Toy Fair, and I went and dropped the ball by basically not talking about the few things MEGA Brands did show at the event. But Mattel is making up for it today by releasing a bunch of unannounced Summer 2016 sets, and I’m making up for it by previewing them all as quickly as possible. And the last of the sets is also the biggest: the Halo Mega Bloks Covenant Wraith Ambush!

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2016 Halo Mega Bloks UNSC Spade Rush Set Photos!

32730 UNSC Spade Rush Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 Set Box

Three never-before-seen Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 sets unexpectedly made their debut today, but there’s one I’m far more surprised to see than the others. The odd set out is definitely the Halo Mega Bloks Summer 2016 UNSC Spade Rush set, which brings back the UNSC Spade vehicle from Halo: Reach. Traditionally the Spade is among the least-popular and worst-selling Halo vehicles, but let’s take a look and see if MEGA Brands will be able to buck that trend with the newly-redesigned UNSC Spade Rush 32730 set…

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Halo Mega Bloks 2016 Brute Chopper Raid Set w/ KAT!

Halo Mega Bloks 2016 Brute Chopper Raid Set with Spartan Kat

In what has to be one of the more bizarre chain of events in Mega Bloks Halo history, Mattel showed off virtually nothing new at New York Toy Fair 2016 last month–and then proceeded to release sets one month later which we have never seen before. No, really. Seriously! I’m pretty astonished about this, honestly, but whatever. What is, is–so let’s take a look at the Spring 2016 Halo Mega Bloks Brute Chopper Raid set… with the first-ever official Mega Bloks Kat figure!

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Halo Mega Bloks 2016 Dual Mode UNSC Warthog Set Photos!

Halo Mega Bloks Dual Mode UNSC Warthog Set 31846

Among the very slim picking at the 2016 Toy Fair Mattel Collector Event Halo Mega Bloks showings was a new Dual-Mode UNSC Warthog set, which had the gimmicky ability to switch between having its turret either be a Gauss Cannon or a Rocket Launcher. I had imagined that this set wouldn’t be arriving until summer 2016, as MEGA Brands tends to only release winter and summer sets–but I thought wrong! The Dual Mode UNSC Warthog Mega Bloks set has now been fully-revealed and released!

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Halo Wars 2 Mega Bloks Jackrabbit Blitz Revealed! Douglas!

Halo Wars 2 Mega Bloks UNSC Jackrabbit Blitz Set

At New York Toy Fair 2016, Mattel let Halo Mega Bloks collectors down with an astonishingly light showing. But this story has a surprise twist happy ending. Because not only are more 2016 Halo Mega Bloks sets on the way than were displayed at the show–but several never-before-seen sets have now been released already! Meanwhile, we can now attach a name to a vehicle shown but left untitled at the Toy Fair: the Halo Wars 2 Mega Bloks UNSC Jackrabbit Blitz set–with Spartan Douglas!

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Halo Mega Bloks Foxtrot Series Figures Revealed & Photo!

Halo Mega Bloks Foxtrot Series Figures Packaging

New York Toy Fair 2016 was perhaps the most disappointing Toy Fair ever for Halo toy news, as Mattel obtaining the Halo master license meant nothing new being shown from any manufacturer except for Mattel and Dark Horse. But while news has been slow so Mattel’s Halo acquisition, something worthwhile leaked out today: the blind bag packaging revealed Halo Mega Bloks Foxtrot Series figures!

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Toy Fair 2016: McFarlane Toys Halo 5 Series 2 Photos!

I was truly blessed yesterday to have the opportunity to meet with the staff of McFarlane Toys (and someone else extra special) at the New York Toy Fair 2016 in Manhattan. Along with taking photos of the four McFarlane Halo 5: Guardians Series 2 figures that were on display on the floor of the convention center, I also got to have a wonderful conversation about the history of Halo toys at McFarlane Toys, including some facts and intel that I had never heard before. Read on, McFarlane Halo fans…

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Halo Mega Bloks 2016 Halo Heroes Series 1 Figures Released!

Halo Heroes Series 1 Figures Case Display

Even though the January 2016 wave of new Halo Mega Bloks sets has the smallest number of new vehicles ever included in a wave–zero–that doesn’t mean that we’re not getting some good stuff this winter! And the most-anticipated of the new Halo toys this season are something all-new: a series of single-packed, carded named (and some multiplayer) characters.

And finally, they have arrived: Halo Heroes Series 1 has now been released!

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Mega Bloks Halo Heroes Spartan Vale Figure Review

Halo Mega Bloks Halo Heroes Spartan Vale Figure Review

Given that Spartan Vale is one of eight main characters in the runaway hit Halo 5: Guardians video game, you would think that Spartan Vale figures would be hitting from tons of companies. That’s not the case. In fact, not one bit of Olympia Vale merch was released by any company last year.

But to kick off 2016, Halo Mega Bloks is bringing us the first Vale toy ever with the Halo Heroes Spartan Vale figure! Vale’s selling for more than triple her MSRP online–is she worth it?

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McFarlane Halo 5 Series 2 Figures Hi-Res Photos! Buck!

Halo 5 Guardians McFarlane Buck Figure Revealed

For reasons that I cannot begin to understand (because McFarlane Toys works in unfathomable ways), McFarlane has been eerily silent about figure Halo 5: Guardians figures since the game was released two months ago. And while McFarlane Toys still hasn’t announced anything new, at least they’re finally acknowledging figures that went up for order months ago: the Halo 5 Series 2 figures (including Buck!) have now officially been revealed with hi-res images!

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CODE NUMBER LIST: Halo Mega Bloks Delta Series Figures!

Halo Mega Bloks Delta Series Code Number List

I could have swore that I was just talking about the Halo Mega Bloks Charlie Series blind bags a couple weeks ago, but it turns out that it was over six months ago that I posted the Charlie Series Code Number List. Time flies, huh? Anyway, the fact that it’s been a full half year since the last Halo Mega Bloks figures series was released can mean only one thing: it’s time for a new wave of blind bags: the Halo Mega Bloks Delta Series code number list is as follows…

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Triforce Halo 5 Locke & Kelly Helmet Replicas Up for Order!

TriForce Spartan Kelly 087 Replica Helmet

What do you get for Christmas for the Halo collector in your life (or yourself) who already has everything produced for Halo that costs less than $600? Well, your options are limited in that case, but TriForce has a couple of new suggestions for you–and they’re two of the coolest Halo collectibles that I’ve ever seen! Straight out of the Halo 5: Guardians video game, the Halo 5 Spartan Locke and Spartan Kelly Replica helmets are now available for order! But while every big Halo fan is gonna want these helmets, only 500 are going to be able to get them…

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McFarlane Toys Halo 5: Guardians Fred Figure Review!

Halo 5 Guardians Spartan Fred Figure

It’s been a while since I reviewed a McFarlane Toys Halo 5: Guardians figure, and since I’m all hyped up for the video game to be released in two days, I figured now was a good time to get back in the habit!

I was ultimately let-down by the Agent Locke figure I reviewed in the summer, but that didn’t stop me from buying one of my favorite members of Blue Team! The Halo 5 Spartan Fred figure is available online now for about 12 bucks shipped–is he worth your dollars?

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Gamestop Exclusive Halo Grey Pelican Replica Up for Order!

Gamestop Exclusive Halo Pelican Grey Vehicle Replica

A couple weeks ago, a surprise listing appeared on eBay out of literally nowhere for an unannounced Dark Horse Halo Grey Pelican ship replica sporting a “GameStop Exclusive” sticker.

It’s been a tedious wait ever since to see when (or if) the ship would actually be available direct from Gamestop, but the wait is over: the GameStop Exclusive Halo Pelican is now available for order online!

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