Category: Rumors

New LEGO Star Wars Helmets Rumored to Come Out Next Year

The AFOL section of the LEGO Star Wars fandom has gotten some awesome sets geared for them since last year. Perhaps the most memorable are the Star Wars Helmet collection. There’s nothing like brick-built recreations of the iconic headgear of the Empire (and one bounty hunter) to inspire imagination. Five sets have been released thus far. Last year saw the line’s debut with the Stormtrooper (75276), TIE Fighter Pilot (75274) and Boba Fett (75277) helmets. This past March saw them joined by Darth Vader (75304) and the Scout Trooper (75305). And according to Promobrick.de in Germany, more sets are coming.

That’s pretty much the gist of the rumor Promobricks has picked up: more LEGO Star Wars Helmets in 2022. Apparently, LEGO is considering the helmets of three characters, but will decide to make only two sets. The three in question are Luke Skywalker (Red 5 helmet), Imperial AT-AT Pilot, and Din Djarin. Indeed, the titular Mandalorian from the “self-titled” Disney+ series is getting a LEGO helmet. One has to wonder however at how to make these rumored LEGO sets distinct. The AT-AT Pilot’s helmet is almost a revamped, recolored Stormtrooper. Din’s helmet on the other hand comes across as duller and less fanciful that Boba’s.

Bear in mind that these are just rumors at the very moment. We’ll have to wait again until LEGO makes an official statement about these (supposed) new LEGO Star Wars Helmets. The same goes for rumors of new LEGO Star Wars Battle Packs that started making buzz earlier this month. About the only thing we can say is that we’re now wishing more heroic “Star Wars” characters wore helmets. This line of LEGO Star Wars sets is near-totally skewed in favor of the Galactic Empire.

Rumors Say Viking Longship Among Planned LEGO Creator Sets for 2022

LEGO Creator has had a fruitful, set-laden year for 2021. They released sets ranging from flowers to vehicles. There are the 3-in-1 sets that got the building imagination going. And lastly, the Creator Expert sets have been blowing lots of minds this year. Who can say no to more (detailed) vehicles and structures like FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou (10284)? This September, year 2021 comes to its home stretch. That means more LEGO set release news become frequently for next year. So it is that The Brick Fan is sharing what they heard is in store for LEGO Creator in 2022.

The details they got for the planned Creator sets include the names, numbers, number pieces, and (European) pricing. And some items don’t get all that info. For the Creator sets with number of pieces listed, none appear to be Creator Expert-sized. Of the remaining three, one is an Expert possibility (a building). Another seems to herald the return of a classic LEGO-original kiddie theme: Vikings. Of the rest, at least one seems fit to be a Creator 3-in-1. In fact, let’s not keep you readers waiting. Here are the supposed upcoming 2022 LEGO Creator sets:

  • Off-Road Buggy (31123) – 160 pieces, €14.99/$17.71
  • Super Mech (31124) – 159 pieces, €9.99/$11.80
  • Forest Mythical Creatures (31125) – 175 pieces, €14.99/$17.71 (betting this will be a 3-in-1)
  • Supersonic Jet (31126) – 215 pieces, €19.99/$23.61
  • Speedster (31127) – 258 pieces, €19.99/$23.61
  • Dolphin and Turtle (31128) – 137 pieces, €9.99/$11.80
  • Majestic Tiger (31129) – 755 pieces, €49.99/$59.05
  • Submarine (31130)
  • Townhouse/Noodle Shop (31131)
  • Viking Longship and Sea Serpent (31132) (return of LEGO Vikings, perhaps?)

So we have several vehicles, animals and a building up there. Pretty good rumors, if you ask me. And it would be great if they get confirmed by LEGO eventually. But until they are, keep your grain of salt handy.

LEGO Teases a New LEGO Super Mario Set

LEGO Super Mario has got to be one of the most successful “new” licensed IPs to get LEGO representation. While fans have been building Mario-themed stuff for years, it wasn’t until 2020 that LEGO and Nintendo made things official. Since then, the new sets have just kept coming. With a battery-powered buildable LEGO Super Mario character as a centerpiece, the new line has captured fans from multiple generations. And the blitz is not quite over. Back in July, there was talk of a Princess Peach Castle set becoming a direct-to-consumer release later this year. A new teaser has rekindled the speculations, setting the stage for the imminent arrival of what could be a new LEGO Super Mario set.

Well okay – the 22-second teaser on LEGO’s official Twitter page mentions no castles. It’s really just a dramatic camera pan on a shadowed brick-built Super Mario question mark cube. The ending with the text “We’ve got a ‘?’ for you” does make the mind-gears spin.

Is LEGO going to reveal that Princess Peach Castle (71395) now? Is the 3D presentation of the question mark cube cluing that the next set homages one of Nintendo’s later-gen/3D “Mario” titles? Or is the upcoming set…just that featured brick-built cube? It would be an epic anticlimax if that’s the case.

German LEGO news site Promobricks does have a theory that sort of combines some of the above possibilities. They posit that the set does depict Princess Peach’s castle, but as part of a larger environment: the Mushroom Kingdom. Next, the design of this Mushroom Kingdom takes after Super Mario 64, the hit 1996 Nintendo 64  Mario game. Promobricks even has a possible price tag of $169.99 for whatever LEGO’s been teasing. And since many upcoming LEGO releases are scheduled for October 1, this too is the proposed date. Will this LEGO Super Mario prediction pan out? We’ll see next time.

LEGO Stores Mexico Provides Clearer Image of LEGO Mini Disney Castle (40478)

The Magic (in Mini form) is real. For Disney fans and LEGO collectors who feel the Disney Castle set (71040) is too big, they have an alternative. It comes in the form of LEGO Mini Disney Castle (40478), recently confirmed. LEGO even had an image of the box packaging in its official documentation. Of course, being found on a PDF, said image was too small and blurry when blown up. Luckily a better image of the set has surfaced, and from Mexico of all sources.

A big shout-out to Brick Fanatics for catching a recent social media post featuring the Mini Disney Castle. LEGO Stores Mexico posted it on their official Instagram page this past September 6. We get to see the fully-built LEGO Mini Disney Castle (40478) with its included Mickey Mouse minifigure. Superimposed on the picture to one side is the box. The promo image’s Spanish slogans translate: “Your favorite castle in miniature,” and “Look forward to it soon.” Gee, the photo tells more but the text keeps mum on further info.

What we know now

Thanks to the clearer image from LEGO Stores Mexico, we can at least discern some new details.  The mini castle, like its bigger 71040 original, sits on a black base. Some colors are different since Disney World likes to repaint their central structure once in a while. Finally, the Mickey Mouse minifigure is actually a bit different from the one with set 71040. The older version had yellow highlights on his tuxedo; this one doesn’t.

The 404 number on LEGO Mini Disney Castle (40478) has hinted that this would be a gift-with-purchase. LEGO Stores Mexico however commented on its IG post that it will launch at their stores. There’s a possibility that it could be both, depending on whether it was store-bought or gotten from LEGO Shop@Home. Again, we wait until LEGO gives more clarification.

LEGO Ideas Sonic Mania – Green Hill Zone Set Rumored to Come Out Next Year, with Some Changes

Just because a LEGO Ideas proposal got 10,000 supporters and passed a review stage for production, it doesn’t mean we will be seeing the fruits of that labor soon. LEGO Ideas member toastergrl first proposed her “Sonic the Hedgehog” set in early 2019. It gained 10-K support a year later and went into review. Then this February 2021 LEGO approved it as a new Ideas set. It’s now September 2021 and “Sonic Mania: Green Hill Zone” hasn’t made any further news. When is it coming out then? For now we only have some rumors according to The Brick Fan.

Details about the LEGO Ideas set themed after videogame icon “Sonic the Hedgehog” surfaced in Europe recently. First is the set name, 21331. Next is the possible retail price of 69.99 Euros, or $83.08 in exact conversion. Third is the expected release date, or dates. LEGO Ideas Sonic Mania – Green Hill Zone (21331) will be released either January 1, 2022 or in April. If both dates are valid then the New Year’s Day availability could be for the LEGO VIPs.

As for the set itself, the LEGO Ideas team may have made some alterations to toastergrl’s original design. That is their prerogative when turning an approved proposal into an official set. Apparently they’ve increased the scale of the environment but at the same time made things more “linear.” One feature of the original build was the versatility in connecting the environment pieces. How this will be translated into something linear has yet to be revealed. That is of course if these rumors hold true. Sonic ought to still remain a minifigure while Dr. Robotnik/Eggman and hench-bot Crabmeat are still brick-built. We really could use official word from LEGO about this. Chalk this one up for another speculation to verify later on.

Mini LEGO Disney Castle Rumor Gains Traction with Set Number (40478), Build Instruction Page

The Magic was released in LEGO-brick form back in 2016, and it never really went away. We’re talking about set 71040, aka the magnificent LEGO Disney Castle. Its build is just like Cinderella Castle in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom or Tokyo Disneyland, but scaled for minifigures. Said minifigs of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Tinker Bell, are also accompanied by incredible shout-out LEGO pieces from various Disney Animated Films.

It’s all impressive, especially its size, dwarfing even LEGO Creator Expert sets like the newly-revealed Camp Nou (10284). But what if you can have your Disney Castle in a more manageable scale?

Mini Castle?

Brick Fanatics has been following hints of LEGO planning a micro-scale version of LEGO Disney Castle (71040) since April. Now, they’re reporting that the Online Building Instructions portal at LEGO.com has a new listing. How does Mini Disney Castle (40478) sound to you Disney fans? And based on the number LEGO assigned, this set might be as Brick Fanatics theorized months before: a gift-with-purchase. This is based on the numbering scheme that recent GWPs were sporting. Sailboat Adventure (40487) and FC Barcelona Celebration (40485) have 404 as its initial numbers.

More Questions

There are no concrete details yet on LEGO Mini Disney Castle (40478) beyond its 2021 release. Still, having building instructions put up on LEGO.com portal has led to official set reveals. There is however another rumor from BF’s social media source, brick_clicker, about this set’s 500-800 piece count. That’s a lot compared to most GWPs.

A running theory is that 40478, if a gift-with-purchase set, will need a higher online shopping threshold. Think the $200 minimum purchase for LEGO Sailboat Adventure (40487) was high? This could be higher still. Why else would 40487 remain available until its GWP period ended last August 29? One other alternative is that LEGO Mini Disney Castle could be purchasable by itself. We better keep our eyes peeled for more info sometime soon.

First Images of LEGO FC Barcelona Celebration (40485) GWP Set Revealed

For the past few months past, collectors have been combing online news for more word on a new LEGO Creator Expert set. It is fairly certain to be a nice scale reproduction of Camp Nao stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Football fans know it as the citadel of FC Barcelona and, the largest stadium in Spain and Europe. It has hosted FIFA World Cup games, football finals of the 1992 Olympics, and more. There’s no confirmation yet when LEGO Creator Expert Camp Nou (10284) will release. But Promobricks however caught wind of a Gift with Purchase (GWP) set coming along with this elusive set – the LEGO FC Barcelona Celebration (40485)

Check out these first images of LEGO FC Barcelona Celebration (40485). LEGO Shop@Home Australia put these pics online. They list the set as a free item but also priced at AU$29.99. It depicts minifigure FC Barcelona supporters celebrating the team at a familiar game hangout, the Font de Canaletes.

 

One might also notice an image discrepancy. The box picture shows five minifigs while the set photo only has four (top image). Details on LEGO Shop@Home Australia are rather sparse beyond its set number and pieces (178 pieces in total). The specifications do say that it will include FOUR minifigures and accessories in FC Barcelona colors, so that’s probably it. From what we can assume based on word from brick street, this latest promotional set may perhaps be an incentive similar to what LEGO offered last year when it released the LEGO Creator Expert Old Trafford-Manchester United (10272) and its GWP counterpart, the exclusive LEGO United Trinity Statue (5006171) minifigures.

The Creator Expert line has seemingly abandoned chronological release by number since this year. But with LEGO FC Barcelona Celebration (40485) in the open, LEGO Creator Expert Camp Nou (10284) isn’t far off. Speculation has it that the Camp Nou set may have been held back due to the recent FC Barcelona drama. You know the one about the club letting Lionel Messi go on August 5 after his contract expired on July 1. A set like LEGO Creator Expert Camp Nou would have been considered “too soon.” The same goes for its GWP, FC Barcelona Celebration (40485). We won’t really know until it officially comes out.

Is LEGO Vidiyo Going on a Very Long Break?

There have been some rumors going around that The LEGO Group (TLG) may have finally considered pulling the plug on its recently introduced LEGO Vidiyo theme. Quite frankly, I find it rather difficult to believe considering that we only have two waves of sets released in the first half of this year. And to finally address these concerns, LEGO went out of its way to shed light on these rumors.

LEGO Vidiyo
The LEGO Vidiyo theme is basically new, and it’s quite hard to think that LEGO is contemplating canceling it at this early stage.

Below is the company’s official statement on the matter. Which is, to be honest, speaking more like corporate speaking to its investors rather than to the faithful fans that supported the theme since day 1. Whatever is the case, TLG seems to say that LEGO Vidiyo sets will still be around and that we can still expect its existing line of products to be available in LEGO Stores and online. However, it is possible that we might not receive any new LEGO Vidiyo sets in 2022 since they will be doing a lot of pilot testing on new play features that include not just the sets but their integration with the Vidiyo app itself. If there is anything to expect, we can look forward to 2023 instead, where we hope to see a roll-out of its next wave of offerings. Whatever is the reason behind this corporate decision about LEGO Vidiyo, I just hope that LEGO will stay true to its promise of making the theme better and more appealing to younger LEGO fans. I guess only time can tell.

LEGO Vidiyo
It looks like LEGO Vidiyo will be on a very long break…

Here’s the official word from LEGO if in case you want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. And for the latest and currently available LEGO Vidiyo sets, be sure to visit LEGO Shop@Home. What do you think of this announcement from TLG? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

We wanted to provide you with an update regarding LEGO VIDIYO.

As you know, we launched LEGO VIDIYO in January to connect with children in a completely new way, blending music, digital play and LEGO building in a fun and unique way. The product tested extremely well during development and has received really positive feedback from those children and families who have played with it.

We’ve seen a positive response to the launch, but we’ve also received feedback from people that we could make the play experience across the app, BeatBits, music and minifigures even simpler. So, we’re taking that onboard and together with Universal Music Group are going to pilot some new ideas in 2022, then release new play experiences in 2023 and beyond.

LEGO VIDIYO is very much still available, the current products will continue to be sold in stores and marketed globally, and we’re continuing to support this fantastic play experience, including new updates and fun challenges to the app to inspire children’s creative music video making.

Thank you for your continued support of the LEGO brand, we hope for your understanding behind this decision.

LEGO Super Mario Peach’s Castle (71395) Rumored to be the Next D2C Set

Word from brick street is that the highly successful LEGO Super Mario theme is getting its next direct-to-consumer (D2C) following the likes of the LEGO Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System (71374). According to several reliable sources, we can expect the arrival of the LEGO Super Mario Peach’s Castle (71395) in the last quarter of this year, with speculations of its arrival reinforced by an unlikely source.

As noted by German LEGO fan site Stone Wars, the possibility of another castle-themed LEGO set is further hinted upon by a new LEGO piece that is made available via LEGO’s Replacement Parts services. Element 6152409 or a white version of the 1×2 White Masonry Brick (98283) has been listed on the said service.

lego white masonry brick
The LEGO Replacement Parts Service lists element 6152409, a white variant of the masonry brick 98283.
LEGO Super Mario Peach's Castle
Image courtesy of Stone Wars.

Prior to this listing, however, there has been a rumor going around LEGO fan communities that a new LEGO Super Mario set is in the works, and it will feature another iconic castle from the Super Mario universe. But unlike other large sets under the theme such as the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle (71369) set, this upcoming D2C set is not strictly a part of the theme’s expansion sets but more like the brick-built Nintendo Entertainment System (71374).  The discovery of the new 1×2 White Masonry brick gives further credence to the rumor of a Peach’s Castle set considering that the set follows a white and red color scheme made up mostly of masonry bricks. Though it’s not the actual set, a LEGO MOC created by Instagram user s.cossy might give us an idea of how this D2C set might turn out.

I know that this is speculative as of the moment, and details of this possible set are scant as of the moment. But what we do know as of this point is that the LEGO Super Mario Peach’s Castle (71395) is expected to retail for € 169.99 as per Price Vortex making it the 2nd most expensive set under the theme, just a notch lower than the LEGO Super Mario NES. We can also guess that it will most probably clock in at around 1,500 to 2,000 pieces given this price point.

Like any other rumors, it is wise to consider this with a grain of salt, and let’s just hope that LEGO will make an announcement any time soon.

A LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch Set Is About to Be Revealed Any Time Soon

The first episode of the Disney+ series, The Bad Batch has already streamed and the reviews are all over the top with the show receiving an average score of 96% over at Rotten Tomatoes, and 9.2 at IMDB. Needless to say, it looks like a very good start for Disney, and for LEGO as well since rumors have it that a LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch set is most likely on its way.

German online LEGO retailer JB Spielwaren shared via Instagram an upcoming promotional that may saw the reveal of the said tie-in. Now to be fair, the said Instagram post did not mention a specific LEGO set to be revealed. But another related incident has shown a strong possibility of such kind of a LEGO set reveal. An advertisement released by the German LEGO online store has inadvertently unveiled the LEGO Star Wars Bad Batch Shuttle (75314) set. The image quality itself is not ideal but enough to give us an idea of what to expect from this new tie-in set.

LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch

The German advert shows us the Bad Batch Shuttle (75314) design features, including two speeders and a collection of unique and colorful designs of the elite team’s minifigure counterparts: Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, Crosshair, and Echo.

LEGO Star Wars Bad Batch 2

There is no other information regarding this set except for the possibility that it will be around the 99.99 Euro price point. And since JB Spielwaren is about to make a reveal anytime soon, we might have an opportunity of knowing more about this set in the next couple of days.

The Star Wars: The Bad Batch is a direct sequel to the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series and follows the story of the Clone Force 99 – an elite team of clone troopers with genetic mutations that enable them to take on daring mercenary missions. The show is currently streaming over at Disney+ with new episodes being released on a weekly schedule.

Special thanks to Brick Fanatics for the additional info.