Revamped October 2021 LEGO Store Calendar Removes LEGO Harry Potter GWPs

As September came to an end, LEGO gave us a glimpse of this month, on their official LEGO Store Calendar. The promotions we expected for October 2021 looked like a well-varied ensemble. Original themes like Creator Expert Winter Village and LEGO Friends were side-by-side with licensed IPs. These included “Super Mario” and “Harry Potter,” the latter of which was celebrating 20 years. No less than two LEGO HP gifts-with-purchase awaited buyers on LEGO Stores according to the October calendar. Well in the middle of this month things underwent an abrupt change. The Brick Fan has alerted us to this development.

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Take a look at the new October 2021 LEGO Store Calendar, as presented on LEGO’s servers. Take a peek at the original edition here for comparison. Yes, the LEGO Harry Potter GWPs are just gone. Hermione’s Study Desk (30392) and Hogwarts Gryffindor Dorms (40452) both just disapparated from the calendar promos. The new, bigger LEGO Friends GWP spot comes across as very jarring without Gryffindor Dorms beside it. The removal was quite surgical too. Both LEGO HP GWPs were to become available starting October 25, the last day of the month. And LEGO doesn’t look like it’s willing to explain.

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Honestly, it’s a shame that 30392 and 40452 have been shafted, at least for the rest of October. Gryffindor Dorms, being a revamp of an early-days LEGO HP set, would have been a sought-after special offer. Collectors perhaps might be able to pin the blame on supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic. They messed up the arrival of Hogwarts Icons (76391) in North America; they could do the same for these GWPs. Hopefully they’ll finally be available next month.

Rumored LEGO Speed Champions Sets Releasing March 2022

LEGO Speed Champions has been on a wild roller-coaster ride of prominence within LEGO’s many themed lines. It hasn’t exactly released lots of set since debuting in 2015. There have been plenty of rumors that the theme might be discontinued. Then again, Speed Champions became a DLC theme for the 2018 Xbox One auto-racing videogame “Forza Horizon 4.” And last month LEGO assured that more sets will come out through to 2023. The latter news should be quite the relief for Speed Champions collectors. Also welcome for them might be the recent rumors of what famous racecars will get new sets in the coming year.

This information we have thanks to Promobricks.de from Germany. No less than five new LEGO Speed Champion sets are coming in 2022, four of them in March. Their prices are expected of Speed Champions, with one featuring two cars. Let’s have a look at what sets are supposed to arrive:

All the above sets except 76909 are alleged to be released on March 1, 2022. Do note that they are just mere rumors at this point. Take them with a grain of salt until LEGO gives us official word.

Creator Expert Pickup Truck (10290) Designer Video Now Out

The LEGO Creator Expert Pickup Truck (10290) had one of the earliest set reveals recently. We first learned about it in July, well before it officially released this past October 1. It being a rather key LEGO set release, it was just a matter of time before we got the designer video. And so we have, this past Wednesday, on the 13th. The arrival of this video felt comparatively late. LEGO Queer Eye – Fab 5 Loft (10291) got its designer video October 5; note the numbering. But that may be just semantics at this point.

As seen above, LEGO designer Pierre Normandin takes us through the paces of this set’s features. AFOLs who have been around since the 1950s would likely find the descriptions of this vehicle as nostalgic. The time period also lends to the Easter egg that is the LEGO logo on the tailgate. It uses the logo font from that particular decade. The Creator Expert Pickup Truck (10290) also boasts some of the mechanical interactivity one might expect from a Technic set. Having a steering wheel that can turn the front tires and an adjustable rear-view mirror makes the set feel “real.” This set is a prime candidate for immediate purchase by LEGO VIPs this week, with Double Points still in effect.

“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” File Size Spoiled by Xbox Store?

“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” is the most ambitious LEGO Star Wars videogame ever. How else would you describe a game combining three movie trilogies (plus “Clone Wars”) in one package? The game worlds seemed big enough in the first two games in 2005 and 2006 (adapting the Prequels then the Original). The year 2007 brought a “LEGO Star Wars Complete Saga” combining the previous ones. But Traveller’s Tales and WB Interactive have gone for broke with “Skywalker Saga,” considering the content from nine films and a massive animated spinoff. Somebody on social media just discovered just how big.

Brick Fanatics reports Twitter’s “Freakishly Geek” (@freakgeek_yt) saw data for the Xbox version of “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.” On the Xbox Store, the file size for the game apparently came to a massive 52.16 GB. @freakgeek_yt notes that the game data was for Xbox Series (“Skywalker Saga” also has an Xbox One version). He later updated his tweet, dated October 13, showing that the Xbox Store has erased the file size. It’s now blank along with Release Date. For comparison, the now-cancelled “LEGO Dimensions” videogame, featuring multi-IP crossover characters, only measured 16.13 GB. To coin a very old meme, “Skywalker Saga” is “XBOXHUEG.”

WB Interactive and TT famously delayed the release of “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” from late 2020 to 2022. They claimed improvements to the game experience as one reason. That was no idle boast when one looks at its recent trailers. What is curious is Xbox Store abruptly removing the file size from its title data. Were they trying to keep it under wraps, or was 50+ GB a mistake. Hopefully we won’t have to wait until early next year when “Skywalker Saga” releases. Ah, and no file size info was reported for the other major game console versions.

NBC’s “Tonight Show” and “SNL” Mention LEGO Creator Expert Titanic (10294) (and its Price)

The moment LEGO officially announced its existence what came next on TV media could be considered inevitable. The LEGO Creator Titanic (10294), with 9,090 pieces, is already a 1:200 scale model of the massive doomed ocean liner. But that scale conversion still leaves it as one of the biggest LEGO sets ever made. It needs that size to visibly show its amenities and mechanical features, all lovingly recreated in brick form. The price tag also caught a lot of attention. Perhaps that factor serves as the primary contributor of the ribbing LEGO Titanic’s been getting.

As told by Brick Fanatics, The LEGO Creator Expert Titanic (10294) has been the subject of TV media scrutiny. Last weekend the set got mentions in two NBC programs: “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Saturday Night Live”. In the former, host Jimmy Fallon pointed out the $600+ price tag and claimed Titanic was part of LEGO’s “Horrific Disaster” collection. He also name-dropped the Hindenburg and Fyre Festival as part of that “theme.” The latter isn’t even a disaster in the “crashed/sunk passenger vehicle” sense.

The same deal went on at “SNL”. During the Weekend Update, hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che also mentioned the LEGO set 10294 (and fired shots at the pricing). One mean gag the show made about the Creator Expert Titanic was the assertion that the pieces used to assemble it are “frozen Irish minifigures.” The actual passenger liner was built in Belfast, Northern Ireland (1909-11), and some of its doomed passengers had been Irish too.

Hopefully the $629.99 asking price of the LEGO Creator Expert Titanic (10294) doesn’t scare off all collectors. It really is an impressively put-together model. Pre-orders will begin on November 1, though LEGO has yet to confirm its official release date.

Ideas Designer of Fender Stratocaster (21329) Set Showcased in LEGO Video

When a major LEGO set gets released, there’s a chance that they’ll be featured in a designer video. If the release was a LEGO Ideas set, then there might sometimes be a twist in the presentation. Sometimes the designer video would have the official LEGO teams that finalized a winning product idea into the set. But there have been instances when the LEGO Ideas member who originated the build would be honored. The sweet Fender Stratocaster set (21329) came out in October 1. Now, nearly two weeks later, LEGO showcased a video of its Ideas original creator, a contest participant.

Tomas Letenay is a Slovakian architect, LEGO fan and music aficionado as seen in this video. Uploaded to LEGO’s official Twitter page, the showcase sees photos of Letenay and a short narration of his life. From his schoolboy dream of buying an electric guitar grew his ambition to own the legendary Fender Stratocaster. Building one out of LEGO bricks was the next best thing for him. Now his passion project is one of the most sought-after new LEGO sets around. Yet still Letenay continues to strive to one day own a real Stratocaster for himself.

If you like rock and roll but either can’t play guitar or afford one, this Ideas set’s your chance. With its accurate details translated into LEGO pieces, you’d genuinely fall in love with it. The Ideas Stratocaster (21329) comes with a brick-built amplifier, alternate-color body, and Fender sticker. It costs $99.99 and is newly available, so get it now, in stores or online at Shop@Home.

LEGO Resolves Products, Marketing Inclusivity; No Gender Bias

A decade or few back in the history of LEGO, it was perceived as a toy line for children. Rather, LEGO was primarily marketed for boys. But girls did enjoy playing with LEGO too, and eventually calls were made for girl-oriented products. The company complied, both with licensed IPs like Disney and original themes. The latter took several iterations, from LEGO Belville in the 1990s-2000s to LEGO Friends, introduced in 2012. That was fine at first. But at present in a world pushing for more inclusivity and less gender bias, that must change. And LEGO plans to lead in change.

The company made their intentions known on Monday, October 11, aka the United Nations International Day of the Girl. Through a statement on their official website and a new “Rebuild the World” video, LEGO charted a new direction in their product marketing.

Play inclusivity will be a guiding watchword, and the limits of gender stereotypes will be removed. Of course, these announcements also provoked some intense debate and even pushback. In response to a particularly nasty rumor that LEGO’s gender-bias removal means discontinuing LEGO Friends, the company had a counter-statement. No, LEGO Friends will not end. Its predominantly-female character cast will simply gain more male additions starting 2022, for balance.

Yes, put the torches and pitchforks down now. LEGO Friends isn’t going away. The theme’s celebrating its first decade next year! LEGO will however implement inclusive measure that goes both ways. Guys will simply appear more in Heartlake city. In turn, girls will become more common for upcoming LEGO minifigures in general, outside the licensed-IP themes. That’s one way to remove gender bias and stereotypes without benefiting one at the other’s expense. We’ll see how LEGO holds true to that with next year’s product releases.

Alternate Names for 2022 LEGO Technic Sets Surface

Hey Bat-fans, did you enjoy the reveal of LEGO’s “The Batman” tie-ins this past weekend? You must have marveled at the featured Batmobile sets, showcasing a different-looking ride for the Dark Knight. A stock car-like chassis for the Batman’s buggy really stands out after fans have gotten used to jet-engine supercars. The larger LEGO The Batman Batmobile is notable due to being a Technic set. And in the wake of its unveiling rumors have arisen about other LEGO Technic releases, particularly for 2022. One such batch of speculated Technic products was shared last month, but there are more of course.

As Germany’s Promobricks.de would have it, there is quite the number of LEGO Technic sets due for next year. While they have the same set numbers as the earlier reveal from Instagram’s bricksmelody, they have different names. Now, one name from the old rumor list does describe several of the sets listed by Promobricks, but that’s all. Let’s look at the alternate enumeration to compare:

  • BMW M1000 RR K66 (42130)
  • Chopper (42132)
  • Telescopic Loader (42133)
  • Monster Jam Megalodon (42134)
  • Monster Jam El Toro Loco (42135)
  • “John Deere 9R (?)” (42136)
  • Formula E Porsche 99X Electric (42137)
  • Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 (42138)
  • All-Terrain Vehicle (42139)
  • App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle (42140)
  • Formula 1 Racecar (42141)

So there we have a different listing for LEGO Technic sets running from 42130 to 42141. As with the bricksmelody version, these are mere rumors until confirmed or debunked by LEGO. Note that we didn’t list The Batman Batmobile (42127) because it’s confirmed.

“Upside Down”? Next LEGO Ideas Activity Isn’t Just About the “Stranger Things” Set

The Upside Down (75810), a LEGO set tie-in to hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” retires at the end of 2021. Granted, we don’t have to worry about it being the only LEGO Stranger Things product. There’s that social media post last May to consider. But anyway, the Upside Down (75810) counts as one of the most memorable sets to come out in recent years. Changing one’s viewpoint by flipping the whole thing upside-down is a brilliant idea. That idea is being latched on by LEGO Ideas in their latest Activity.

Yep, LEGO Ideas presents the activity “Upside Down.” To be frank, it’s not strictly a “Stranger Things” theme here. In fact, this challenge carries the usual Ideas Activity reminder to tone down on IP use. Then again, the only prize for a LEGO Ideas Activity is seeing your submission shared by LEGO on social media. The activity instruction goes thus: “Is your build the right way up? Or should we tilt our heads? Build something, but upside down!” The steps do come across as rather vague, but that’s part of the fun. Are you a LEGO Ideas member with an idea for a build that “might” be upside-down? Then try your luck with this one.

This activity runs only for a week on LEGO Ideas. Interested builder participants must have their contributions submitted to the Activity Page by October 19.

LEGO VIP Double Points from October 11 to 17

Last week, we got wind of a possible LEGO VIP event running from October 11 to 17. Said event is one that many VIP members look forward to: Double points. Due to LEGO no longer promoting them on store calendars, 2x VIP Point periods can just come from nowhere. The above week-long event got attention due to LEGO Stores in the UK making preparations. At the time it didn’t seem certain that Double VIP Points would be awarded anywhere else. Well thanks to Brickset.com pointing it out, we know it’s happening elsewhere at LEGO Shop@Home.

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So there: become a LEGO VIP and double your points up until this coming Sunday. Not just in the UK but major LEGO Shop@Home markets (North America, Western Europe) are in on the event. Various LEGO news sources we consulted have ideas on how to spend your 2x VIP point earnings this week. According to them you have the choice between new set releases from October 1, or products marked for retirement. It only runs for a week, after all. We see no need to be stingy with the double points you gain. Enjoy your shopping online at LEGO Shop@Home.