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| Product type | Toy weapons |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hasbro |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1969; 56 years ago (1969) |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | |
| Tagline |
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| Website | shop |
Nerf is atoy brand formed byParker Brothers and currently owned byHasbro. Most of the toys are a variety offoam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such asAmerican football, basketball, and baseball. Their best known toys are their dart guns (referred to by Hasbro as "blasters") that shoot ammunition made from "Nerf foam" (partiallyreticulated polyether typepolyurethane foam).[1] Their primary slogan, introduced in the 1990s, is"It's Nerf or Nothin'!". Annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximatelyUS$400 million.[2]
Parker Brothers originally developed Nerf, beginning with a 4-inch (100 mm) polyurethane foam ball. In 1969,Reyn Guyer, a Minnesota-based games inventor, andMinnesota Vikings kickerFred Cox came to the company with a football game that was safe for indoor play, and after studying it carefully, Parker Brothers decided to eliminate everything but the foam ball.[3] The inventors' in-house name for the ball was the "falsie-ball," referencing the sculptedpadding forbras used to create the appearance of largerbreasts.[3] Parker Brothers instead chose the name "Nerf," taken fromNerf bars, the protective tubing used to avoid minor collisions duringoff-roading.[3]
In 1970, the Nerf ball was introduced as the "world's first official indoor ball." Marketing slogans promised that one can "Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You can't hurt babies or old people."[4] Some of the first TV commercials for the balls were joint promotions withGeneral Foods'Kool-Aid drink mix, withMicky Dolenz,Davy Jones andMichael Nesmith of theMonkees playing with the balls on a living room soundstage (Kool-Aid sponsored the 1969–70 Saturday morning reruns of theMonkees' 1966–67 TV series). The ball filled a strong consumer need and by the year's end, more than four million Nerf balls had been sold.[5] The 4-inch (100 mm) ball was followed by a large version called the "Super Nerf Ball". Shortly after, in 1972, a basketball game called "Nerfoop" and the Nerf football (developed by longtime NFL kickerFred Cox[6][7]) joined the family, with the latter quickly becoming Nerf's most popular ball.[8]
The company continued to add to the Nerf line until they handed control toKenner Products, a sister company. In 1987, Kenner was bought by theTonka Corporation, which itself was purchased byHasbro in 1991,[9] which then became the owner of Nerf.[10] Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the Nerf brand served under the subsidiaries OddzOn andLarami before Hasbro took full control of the brand.[11]
Nerf released the firstfoam dart blaster in 1992. Over the years, Nerf has continued to expand the line, adding new looks to existing products, with later lines of Nerf products ranging from sport balls and foam dart blasters to video games and accessories.[12]
In February 2013, Hasbro announced the launch of a new product line calledRebelle, designed to appeal to a female demographic. The line featured blasters with aesthetics and color schemes distinct from other Nerf lines, while maintaining internal mechanics similar to the N-Strike Elite series. The first Rebelle products were released later that year.[13]
Later in November 2013,POW! Books releasedThe Ultimate Nerf Blaster Book, written by Nathaniel Marunas.[14] The publication chronicled the brand’s evolution and provided detailed information on all N-Strike, Dart Tag, and Vortex blasters available at the time of release.[15][16]
In 2015, Nerf introduced theRival series, aimed at older users seeking greater performance. The initial blasters in this line, the Apollo XV-700 and Zeus MXV-1200, fired a new type of foam ammunition called High Impact Rounds—spherical projectiles capable of reaching higher velocities than traditional darts. Rival products are generally recommended for ages 14 and up.[17]
Continuing its innovation in foam-based ammunition, Nerf unveiled theHyper series in 2021.[18] The initial offerings—Hyper Rush-40, Hyper Siege-50, and Hyper Mach-100—featured a new type of round similar in concept to Rival’s, but smaller and composed of a thermoplastic elastomer material, offering a more rubber-like texture compared to traditional foam.[19]
Nerf's most popular product type are Nerf blasters,[20] which aretoy plastic guns that shoot foam darts. These darts have different-style tips, includingVelcro-tipped in order to stick to Nerf vests (typically shipped with Dart Tag blasters),suction cup darts designed to stick to smooth surfaces, streamlined darts to fit into magazines (referred to as clips by Nerf), and darts able to whistle in flight. Darts may also have different colors, such as colors that reflect certain sub-lines, camouflage, and glow in the dark. Most Nerf blasters also have rails, known as tactical rails, which can accommodate different attachments, as well as special adapters such as barrel and stock adapters. The "N-strike" sub-line was launched in 2004, and is styled more like a real weapon than previous Nerf products.[20] It was updated in 2012 as N-Strike Elite.[21]
In 2023, Nerf launched the Elite Jr. series, aimed at younger users, featuring simplified internal mechanisms, bright colors, and larger triggers for easier operation.
Released in 2013, the Rebelle line was a series of blasters predominantly aimed at the femaledemographic, with similar internal mechanics to the Nerf N-Strike elite line, sporting pink, purple and teal colors.[22]
The Zombie Strike line was launched in 2013, and is geared for fans ofHumans vs. Zombies games.[23] All blasters have a distinct zombie apocalypse theme, with newer blasters featuring aDIY aesthetic.[citation needed]
Nerf Rival blasters (branded as RIVAL) fire small foam balls referred to by Nerf as "High Impact Rounds", but usually referred to as “Rival Balls” or "Rival Rounds" by the Nerf community.[citation needed] Nerf Rival blasters are targeted towards an older target market than Nerf's better-known dart blasters.[24]
In 2017, Hasbro released the Nerf Nitro line, which consists of blasters that fire foam cars into obstacles and stunt ramps.[25]
Released in September 2019, Nerf Ultra (branded as ULTRA) blasters fire a new, proprietary dart design that is marketed as "THE FARTHEST FLYING DART EVER. Darts can travel up to 120 feet."[26] The new Ultra darts are constructed from a lightweight foam that is notably different from traditional darts in that they are made with closed-cell, rather than open-cell foam. This construction allows for fins to be molded into the rear of the darts. Size-wise, Ultra darts are between N-Strike Elite darts and Mega darts in diameter, but shorter than both in length. They cannot be fired from any previous Nerf line or off-brand compatible blasters, nor can any other lines' darts be fired from Ultra blasters. This design was created in response to the growing number of third-party darts, including exact knockoffs from China, available for N-Strike Elite blasters at a much lower cost than Nerf-brand darts.[27]
Released in mid‑2024, the N-Series introduces the proprietary N1 dart—shorter, wider, and aerodynamically optimized—only compatible with N-Series blasters.[28] Hasbro has stated plans to phase out the Elite dart format.[29] The series launched with Agility, Dealer, Infinite, Pinpoint, Shadow Storm, Sprinter, Ward, and accessory packs by early 2025.
Originally owned and marketed by Larami, Super Soaker is a popular line ofwater guns. Recently, Hasbro has released a line of Nerf-branded Super Soaker blasters.[30]
Lazer Tag, a popularlaser tag toy line from the mid-1980s, is also currently part of the Nerf banner. The current generation of Lazer Tag blasters attach toiPhones oriPod Touch units for enhanced playability.[31]
In June 2013, Hasbro and Grammercy Products unveiled Nerf Dog, a line of Nerf-inspired canine retrieving toys made of rubber, nylon, and plastic. Nerf Dog was launched atWalmart stores, and debuted at pet specialty stores in Fall 2013.[32][33]
Based in Secaucus, N.J., Gramercy Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of Nerf Dog products.[34]
The Nerf Dog Tennis Ball Blaster mimics traditional Nerf blaster designs and shoots a ball up to 50 feet in the air. The toy uses special softer balls to reduce the risk of injury.[35]
Launched in April 2024, this series features simplified “wild”-themed blasters such as Lionfury and Sharkfire, designed for younger children with easy-to-use mechanisms and playful animal designs.[36]
Introduced a new enthusiast-oriented line, starting with motorized half-dart models like Stryfe X (October 2023) and later the Pro Torrent, Sender, and GelFire gel-blaster variants in 2024. These products are aimed at more competitive players and use high-performance darts at velocities up to 150 fps.[37]
In early 2025, Hasbro and Franklin Sports unveiled the Nerf Sports lineup at the New York Toy Fair. Products include glow-in-the-dark and color-changing AirTee, Vortex Rocket Footballs, QuietCourt indoor basketballs, Air Hoop, QB Pro Throw, and LightStrike Vortex Football—designed for versatile play both indoors and outdoors.[38]
Announced at the 2025 Toy Fair, this customizable modular line includes models like FrostFusion, Galactic Commander, ShadowSpeed Recon, Arctic ZeroStriker, CyberLight Ghost, and FlareFusion. Each supports multiple attachment combinations and uses N-Series N1 darts.[39]
Nerf has also producedvideo game accessories for thePlayStation 2,Nintendo DSi,DS Lite,3DS and theWii.[40] Visionary Media, Inc. released the first-person shooterNerf Arena Blast (orNAB, sometimesArena Blast) in 1999.EA Games, in association with Hasbro, released the 2008 video gameNerf N-Strike[41] and its 2009 sequelNerf N-Strike Elite. Both games feature theSwitch Shot EX-3, which doubles as a functional dart blaster and aWii Remote accessory.[42] In June 2019,Raw Thrills released the Nerf Arcade game.[43] GameMill Entertainment publishedNerf Legends, a first-person shooter game released on 19 November 2021 forMicrosoft Windows,Nintendo Switch,PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Xbox One andXbox Series X/S.[44] In 2021, an onlinemultiplayer first-person shooter titledNerf Strike was developed by The Gang Stockholm and released by Metaverse Team under license from Hasbro on the online platformRoblox.[45] In August 2022, developersSecret Location under licence fromHasbro[46] released theVirtual reality game multiplayer shooter titledNERF Ultimate Championships for theMeta Quest 2 platform.[47] In February 2023Secret Location announced on a now deleted developer update on theMeta Horizon Store listing that the studio was shutting down, meaning that support forNERF Ultimate Championships will soon end it will be delisted off theMeta Horizon Store.The game was shut down and subsequently delisted on August 31, 2023.[48] April 2023, they collaborated with the gameStumble Guys to add a Nerf-themed mini game to their game.[49]
In June 2010, Hasbro suedBuzz Bee Toys and Lanard Toys for patent violation of its Nerf andSuper Soaker brands. The lawsuit stated that Buzz Bee and Lanard infringed two U.S. patents for the Nerf N-Strike Disc Shot blaster, while Buzz Bee infringed on a Super Soaker patent.[52] In November of that year, Hasbro won its patent case against Buzz Bee with the latter banned from producing certain water guns.[53]
In April 2012, Hasbro contacted theAustralia-based fan blogUrban Taggers for leaking information on unreleased Nerf products found on the Chinese marketplace websiteTaobao.[54] Hasbro allegedly tricked one of the bloggers into disclosing his home address for their lawyers to mail him acease and desist letter. The incident resulted in fans setting up a campaign onFacebook boycotting Hasbro.[55]
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