From LEGO sets we never thought we'd see to the start of an all-new tradition, here are the biggest LEGO news stories from 2024.
It's never a quiet year if you're a LEGO fan, with new releases and talking points coming thick and fast. So fast, in fact, that you'd be forgiven for forgetting some of what's happened this year.
Before 2024 is officially over, we thought we'd take a look back at some of the biggest topics from throughout the year. With anniversaries celebrated, obstacles overcome, and canon reimagined, there's a lot to get through. Let's dive in.
10 – LEGO meets Dungeons & Dragons at long last
LEGO and Dungeons & Dragons share many characteristics: imaginative play, passionate fans, and colourful characters. A partnership between the two makes perfect sense, so much so that it's almost a wonder that it took until 2024 for it to happen.
Happen it did, however, with new products for high and low price points. 71047 Dungeons & Dragons leaned into the customisation aspects of the game, with both male and female options for all 12 characters, while the enormous 21348 Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale was at the other end of the spectrum, debuting a towering structure complete with a detailed dragon.
The Collectible Minifigures series in particular appeared to be a slam dunk, with a low cost entry and equally popular minifigures throughout all 12 characters.
9 – The highs and lows of the Sail Barge
Another highly anticipated release was the long-awaited 75397 Jabba's Sail Barge – which met mixed reviews. It's undeniably a detailed build that looks fantastic on display – but many fans found it hard to look at 75396 Desert Skiff & Sarlacc Pit and not think they should be part of the same set. That didn't stop it from bagging enough early sales to sell out its exclusive GWP in just a few days, however, so there were clearly enough people willing to fork out for what appeared to many like an incomplete UCS model.
8 – A round-up of applause for blind box codes
After 2023 was dominated by dismay at no longer being able to feel blind bags for the minifigures inside, 2024 has been the year of people getting to grips with using Brick Search's minifigure scanner to scan their way to their minifigures of choice. With three CMF series releasing this year, the scanner has been invaluable for letting people who want to be selective in their collections do so without tampering with boxes.
The best minifigure scanner ever is now available for Brick Search Plus members, with subscriptions starting from £1.99 / $2.99. Download the app for iOS or Android to see for yourself and become a member to get unlimited use.
7 – Zelda fans' dreams come true – almost
Another LEGO 2024 release that came with a healthy dose of highs and lows was 77092 Great Deku Tree 2-in-1. While LEGO Zelda fans got not one but two Link minifigures, the two-in-one style of the build did hike the price up. After all, a lot of those 2,500 pieces go unused depending on which version of the set you build, so some fans felt like they'd been left wanting after forking out over £250.
Much like 75397 Jabba's Sail Barge, it's undeniably a good-looking set but the feedback from fans was evidence that there is only so much that some fans are prepared to pay for what feels like an overpriced product.
6 – LEGO gaming goes from strength to strength
For gaming fans of all franchises, it's been a LEGO-fied year in 2024. LEGO Fortnite got its very first physical sets, with more waves still to come, while also releasing regular content dumps with new game modes and even the ability to create your own LEGO Islands.
Elsewhere, LEGO Horizon Adventures also came out to a strong positive reception, made all the better with an announcement that an incredibly well-priced LEGO set is also coming out – if a few months later. Other game releases include LEGO Hill Climb Adventures and updated versions of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and LEGO Harry Potter, highlighting that the LEGO Group's gaming partnerships are varied and ongoing.
Consider this our first official prediction that LEGO gaming will be an inter-theme collection to rival space and Formula 1 in 2026...
5 – LEGO mini-dolls come into their own
Mini-dolls have typically had a bad rap from older LEGO fans, most often associated with sets geared towards younger builders – until this year. LEGO Wicked and Wednesday appeared to straddle age groups, with display and play sets in equal measure. Both franchises are also probably popular among adults, Wicked in particular falling into that category, yet still included mini-dolls over minifigures.
For some, this was a fun step forward and a positive new style to get their teeth into. For others, it made LEGO sets based one exciting franchises uninteresting. Like it or not, however, it seems mini-dolls are here to stay beyond the LEGO Friends theme.
4 – LEGO Star Wars 25th anniversary
LEGO Star Wars celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024, naturally culminating in various special releases and seven anniversary minifigures. Long-term collectors were glad to see compatibility between the 20th and 25th anniversary minifigure stands, and even the average collector would surely have found something interesting in the line-up.
The minifigures focused on characters we would never normally get in minifigure form, like Cal Kestis from the Star Wars: Jedi games, as well as deeper cuts into community stories like QT-KT.
3 – Leaning into nostalgia
Looking more widely, the LEGO Group leaned heavily into nostalgia in 2024. As people who might have got into LEGO as kids 20 years ago now growing up and having their own disposable income, sets like 10332 Medieval Town Square and dedicated LEGO Ideas challenges based on the '80s and '90s make perfect sense.
Harking back to popular classic themes like LEGO Castle and Space, as well as real-life retro time periods, is a way to keep long-term fans hooked and interested in new LEGO sets – and is sure to continue in the years to come.
2 – LEGO Star Wars canon is forever changed
It's been a big year for LEGO Star Wars even apart from the anniversary, with the release of Rebuild the Galaxy canonising some characters we never thought we'd see. Jedi Bob, a long-term community icon, is now back in minifigure form and takes centre-stage in the animated series, joined by in-jokes come to life like Darth Jar Jar and Beach Luke.
Not only did the series pop off but it also produced some impressive sets, with 75389 The Dark Falcon and 75393 TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up prime among them.
1 – A year in space
Last but not least, 2024 was the first year that the LEGO Group debuted an inter-theme collection, which will apparently become an annual tradition with Formula 1 announced for 2025. Not only did these lead to some unique branding for boxes across multiple themes, but it also made room for some truly creative sets.
From detailed and intricate builds in LEGO Technic and Icons to fun and creative sets in LEGO City and DREAMZzz, 2024's year in space took off to great success. What's more, there are still LEGO space sets due for release in 2025, so it's not time to say goodbye to the collection just yet.
Check out the rest of our features looking back over a year in LEGO here.
Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by buying your LEGO sets using our affiliate links. Thank you!
Comments
Be the first to comment!