“2026 is going to be a huge year for our Games business!”: In conversation with Spin Master’s Angus Walker

Angus, it’s great to catch up. You joined Spin Master last year – what appealed about the move?
I’ve always had a ton of respect for Spin Master. From its inception, Spin has been an alchemy of pure entrepreneurship, passion for innovation and a willingness to take calculated risks and move quickly. Those are three things that get me super excited. The opportunity to lead and grow the games and outdoor businesses at Spin Master was a challenge I couldn’t pass up.

Having observed the company from outside, has the creative culture at Spin been as you’d expected?
Yes! The ‘great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere’ mindset that the company was built on is very much alive and well. What’s so cool about the creative culture here is that it continues to evolve by adding new creative minds to the mix. There is this great fusion of OG Spin people and newer faces to the company from outside. The combination keeps the creative culture rooted, but always progressing.

How would you sum up Spin’s games strategy?
We have amazing brands that have so much untapped potential. Between our owned and operated brands like Rubik’s, Hedbanz and Beat the Parents – and partner brands like Jumanji, Tetris and Family Feud – we have so many opportunities to create new ways for consumers to experience these games. It’s super fun to bring those opportunities to life. That said, we are Spin Master, so we’re always on the lookout for meaningful and disruptive innovation that’s incremental to our core brands.

What should we keep an eye out for this year?
2026 is going to be a huge year for our Games business! There will be big news for the Rubik’s brand coming out later in the year, but we are kicking things off right away with the launch of our Rubik’s Tetris cube. Then there is the new Jumanji game inspired by the new movie coming later this year, a new twist on our popular Hedbanz family game, some fandom favourite licenses for 4D, and, building on the momentum right now for Tetris – including a new Tetris game that is sure to challenge fans.

In addition to all of that, I am most excited for the launch of an all-new game called Murder Phone. It’s a completely new twist on the classic social deduction party game that’s unlike anything else. Trust me that it will have you enthralled – and a little scared – as soon as you open the box!

Sold! And on the outdoor front?
Currently we have two distinct focus areas. There’s our Swimways brand, which is a leader in creating water play and leisure experiences both above and below the water… And then there’s Aerobie, which is all about mind boggling performance in the air and on land. Outdoor is a tricky business because it tends to be very seasonal and because there is a ton of no-name competition. To stay ahead we need to continuously innovate. We are always looking for new disruptive ideas!

You’re a popular figure in the inventor community from your time at Hasbro. How would you sum up Spin’s approach to working with inventors?
Inventors have always played a key role throughout Spin Master’s history, and the inventing community remains one of the most important pillars of our innovation strategy today. Early on, Spin exemplified that working with inventors should never just be a transactional affair. The best ideas are the most successful when the partnership is truly collaborative.

Ben Dermer, Helen De La Cruz, Arielle Egoian, Nina Dizenhuz and Rosalia Juarez – our amazing IR team – continue to embody that mindset every day. For me personally, getting to work with inventors has been one of the highlights of my career. While I am no longer in Inventor Relations specifically, in my new role I have the opportunity to stay engaged in different ways. It goes without saying that I will always champion the inventing community!

Last question! What’s surprised you about Spin since you’ve joined?
I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise necessarily, but I have been blown away by the people. Everyone here is crazy smart, creative, passionate, and driven, but there is nothing homogenous about it. Everyone is all those things, but in very unique and individual ways. It’s hard to explain, but super cool to be a part of.

Always a pleasure Angus. Let’s tie-in again soon!

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