The Beyblade toy line, including its second iteration Metal Fight Beyblade, was inspired by the Beigoma, a traditional Japanese spinning top, as well as by Battling Tops, a spinning top game developed in 1968.

Metal Fight Beyblade (known as Beyblade: Metal Fusion internationally) was released by Takara Tomy on July 12, 2008, following the 2006 merger of Takara and Tomy.

Unlike the mostly plastic Beyblades from the original 1999 toyline, the Metal Fight Beyblade series introduced components made of metal.

The anime adaptation of Metal Fight Beyblade, retroactively named Beyblade: Metal Saga, was produced by Tatsunoko Production and SynergySP, unlike the original series which was produced by Madhouse.

An accompanying action-adventure film, Metal Fight Beyblade vs the Sun: Sol Blaze, the Scorching Hot Invader, premiered in 2010 to accompany the anime series.

The Metal Fight Beyblade manga ran from September 13, 2008 to February 15, 2012, and was followed by a direct sequel manga, Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G, which ran from April to December 2012.

Hasbro, which had licensed the original Beyblade toys internationally since 2002 under agreement with Takara, continued to license the toys for most Western markets under the Metal Fusion name.