Wizarding World 2025 - Rumors & Discussion

[brickbride]

Most UCS sets have minifigs and (a very limited amount of) play functions. That doesn't make them playsets. For example, the 2020 Diagon Alley has the WWW mascot with the hat that can be raised. But it's still clearly a display set geared at adult buyers. The same goes for the UCS Burrow with the Floo function.

The Main Tower is in the same price range as the latter and, for me, fulfills the same role between its displayability and the inclusion of rare characters like Kettleburn (why would a child want this particular fig? What play scene would he lend himself to?).  Malfoy Manor is a set AFOLs - not children and certainly not their parents - have been clamoring for for years, the same goes for updated figs of Narcissa and Bellatrix. The sets is way out of a child's price range, is a facade maent for display that would probably fall down if you tried to play with it,  and what child wants to play "Death Eater meeting" anyway?

Edited May 22 by brickbride

[BrickBob Studpants]

@brickbride: That seems rather arbitrary. Disqualifying the Main Tower as a playset since it‘s also displayable and features an obscure character is rather silly to me when it also includes all the challenges, which are clearly meant as play features too. (Also ignoring that Kettleburn is the teacher for care of magical creatures and can thus be reasonably viewed as Fluffy’s caretaker. Same goes for the shopkeeper in the QSS that serves as both an incentive for collectors and to help act out the story of the set).

With such vague criteria, any playset above $50 of any theme could be discredited as such.

[brickbride]

You misunderstand me. To me it's not a playset if it’s primarily geared at AFOLs.

For example I'd argue that the Flying Lesson is a playset (if a massively overpriced one) because it depicts a scene children would like and has the characters to act it out.

But it's plainly unrealistic to expect a EUR 250 set to be predominantly geared at kids, and the Main Tower is heavily optimized towards displayability over playability: way too many stairs, no Quirrel, Mirror of Erised in a location that renders all the challenges moot (but looks pretty), inclusion of Kettleburn over actual plot-relevant characters, and so on.

Edited May 22 by brickbride

[Chocolate Frog]

The current Harry Potter line has a very particular target market - it isn’t ‘just’ aimed at kids, and it isn’t ‘just’ aimed at AFOLS, it’s aimed at buyers who grew up with the original books/ films, who now have children of their own and are buying them the toys they wish they’d had when they were children. The same thing happened with Star Wars when it came back in 1997. When the line restarted in 2018 it was intended as a kids line with a side order of nostalgia, but that’s because it had ‘entertainment support’ from new content, the Fantastic Beasts films. But those were clunkers, kids dismissed them and the line became more about capturing the budgets of adults who craved nostalgia and could buy themselves a present while pretending it was for their kids (can you tell I know a little about this? ;-)). I would have thought that after the series comes out most sets will be aimed at kids except for some sets based on the films that will be priced for AFOLS. 

[Virginia_Bricks]

1 hour ago, brickbride said:

You misunderstand me. To me it's not a playset if it’s primarily geared at AFOLs.

For example I'd argue that the Flying Lesson is a playset (if a massively overpriced one) because it depicts a scene children would like and has the characters to act it out.

But it's plainly unrealistic to expect a EUR 250 set to be predominantly geared at kids, and the Main Tower is heavily optimized towards displayability over playability: way too many stairs, no Quirrel, Mirror of Erised in a location that renders all the challenges moot (but looks pretty), inclusion of Kettleburn over actual plot-relevant characters, and so on.

The Main Tower is not optimized towards display-ability. 71043 and 76419 include a main tower geared towards display value and there is a huge difference between those sets and the Main Tower.

[BrickBob Studpants]

1 hour ago, brickbride said:

You misunderstand me. To me it's not a playset if it’s primarily geared at AFOLs.

Sure, but that also depends on how you look at it. Where do you draw the line? Is last year‘s $160 Star Destroyer more geared towards kids or adults? It has all the characters you‘d need plus an anniversary minifig for collectors, is a detailed model for display, but also has play features. I‘d argue it‘s both, just like the big HP sets

[Black Falcon]

10 hours ago, brickbride said:

Most UCS sets have minifigs and (a very limited amount of) play functions. That doesn't make them playsets. For example, the 2020 Diagon Alley has the WWW mascot with the hat that can be raised. But it's still clearly a display set geared at adult buyers. The same goes for the UCS Burrow with the Floo function.

I would rather say that something beeing a display Set doesn´t rule it out to be a playset too.

10 hours ago, brickbride said:

The Main Tower is in the same price range as the latter and, for me, fulfills the same role between its displayability and the inclusion of rare characters like Kettleburn (why would a child want this particular fig? What play scene would he lend himself to?).  Malfoy Manor is a set AFOLs - not children and certainly not their parents - have been clamoring for for years, the same goes for updated figs of Narcissa and Bellatrix. The sets is way out of a child's price range, is a facade maent for display that would probably fall down if you tried to play with it,  and what child wants to play "Death Eater meeting" anyway?

The inclusion of a single minifigure is hardly an argument for anything. Lego is well aware that people want certain minifigs, so they put them in sets so people buy them - no matter if the Set is meant for display or not. By your argumentation, the 60424 Jungle Explorer ATV Red Panda Mission would be a display set, because the fig is clearly included for adults that had the old adventurer sets ;).

And sure Malfoy Manor was made because the Designers know that AFOLs wanted to have such a set and also Narcissa. But the execution isn´t really the big UCS, just for Adult version either, so basically everything about is still looks like a playset to me. 

10 hours ago, brickbride said:

You misunderstand me. To me it's not a playset if it’s primarily geared at AFOLs.

For example I'd argue that the Flying Lesson is a playset (if a massively overpriced one) because it depicts a scene children would like and has the characters to act it out.

You mean like the Philosophers Stone challanges?

But anyways, I think people just have different takes on what is a display set and what isn´t. To me Sets like the microscale Hogwarts castles are Display Sets, all other Hogwarts we got a playsets, although of course you can still display them.

10 hours ago, brickbride said:

But it's plainly unrealistic to expect a EUR 250 set to be predominantly geared at kids, and the Main Tower is heavily optimized towards displayability over playability: way too many stairs, no Quirrel, Mirror of Erised in a location that renders all the challenges moot (but looks pretty), inclusion of Kettleburn over actual plot-relevant characters, and so on.

The mirror is just placed there because he fits there and IMO is meant to taken out to play, just like the modules are. And anyways, I would argue that the stairs beeing made for display doesn´t make much sense, because if you want to display that Set you would use the other side anyways - and even then you would at least need the great hall to make it look like Hogwarts. Just the Tower alone doesn´t make a good display IMO.

[Bugbot20082]

I just found a Chinese product video of the main tower set on the app Rednote: http://xhslink.com/a/9pgZhBoWVVidb，复制本条信息，打开【小红书】App查看精彩内容！

the video shows off some of the play features such as the snare trap switch, and the mirror being double- sided 
if this link is not permitted I’ll remove it. 

Edited May 27 by Bugbot20082

[Clone OPatra]

Sets like Malfoy Manor and the current big Hogwarts sections are absolutely playsets. They are designed to be played with.

Designing products as playsets doesn't mean that the designers focus solely on the play factors and forget all other aspects. Especially with this line, they know that older teens and adults are interested, so they design well-rounded sets that can be played with and look good.

Looking good and being able to be displayed doesn't make the sets not playsets though.

[BrickMatit]

9 hours ago, Clone OPatra said:

Sets like Malfoy Manor and the current big Hogwarts sections are absolutely playsets. They are designed to be played with.

Designing products as playsets doesn't mean that the designers focus solely on the play factors and forget all other aspects. Especially with this line, they know that older teens and adults are interested, so they design well-rounded sets that can be played with and look good.

Looking good and being able to be displayed doesn't make the sets not playsets though.

I agree with you. Apart some sets - like Hogwarts Icons - probably the majority of Harry Potter sets are playsets that can also be display - well, it's also true that LEGO fans display every set   The fact that nearly every set is a building or a vehicle and a lot of them is meant to be put together to form Hogwarts castle makes displayability a thing. In general, I think the difference between playsets and display sets is often nuanced.

Some people, I think, tend to overlap playset/display set considerations with price and target considerations, mainly with expensive sets.  Last year Great Hall set and this year Main Tower set are high price sets, targeted to older teens, adult fans and wealthy parents... but are playsets.

 

[BrickBob Studpants]

The playset vs display set distinction is also a thing us AFOLs came up with, I doubt TLG care one iota about that  And neither do kids!

A majority of modern sets fulfill both roles. The only pure display sets are the helmets, busts, logos, buildable figures, and Art sets. On the other end of the spectrum, we have the 4+ sets, where displayability is an afterthought at best. Pretty much everything in-between serves both roles nowadays ^^

[ThoBru]

On 5/24/2025 at 2:03 PM, Bugbot20082 said:

I just found a Chinese product video of the main tower set on the app Rednote: http://xhslink.com/a/9pgZhBoWVVidb，复制本条信息，打开【小红书】App查看精彩内容！

if this link is not permitted I’ll remove it. 

That looks absolutely amazing!

[Jaromir]

We should be getting some sets video review soon, maybe this week.

[Chocolate Frog]

Is it likely that we’ll get a HP GWP or double points with the sets coming out on June 1, and if not, are these likely for the Hogsmede release in September?

[Black Falcon]

8 minutes ago, Chocolate Frog said:

Is it likely that we’ll get a HP GWP or double points with the sets coming out on June 1, and if not, are these likely for the Hogsmede release in September?

The HP GWP will come 1st september like the last years. Double points for the release seems unlikely but we usually get double insiders points for prime day.

[Gorilla94]

14 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

The HP GWP will come 1st september like the last years. Double points for the release seems unlikely but we usually get double insiders points for prime day.

Do we know what it will be?

[BrickBob Studpants]

5 hours ago, Gorilla94 said:

Do we know what it will be?

No, that’ll still take some time ^^ Though it’s pretty likely (thematically) connected to Hogsmeade, since HP GWP sets tend to have a connection to their respective D2C sets  At least lately!

[mark1991t]

New Harry (middle), Ron (right) and Hermione (left), for the HBO series:

Filming is expected to begin next week.

[RODDY]

5 days out from the release of the June sets and still no reviews is crazy work. 

[BacktoBricks]

49 minutes ago, RODDY said:

5 days out from the release of the June sets and still no reviews is crazy work. 

JB Spielwaren has reviews of Monster Book of Monsters, Fawkes, Hogwarts Express booknook and Herbology Class up on Youtube. Plus Privet Drive box was in the video of the booknook so they obviously have the sets and are just working their way through them.

[mark1991t]

Not a full review, but trippinbricks on Insta has built Aunt Marge already and a short video of a wall of 4 Privet Drive. We see the windows in the background, which I think are stickers unfortunately.

[mark1991t]

Small review for Privet Drive. Aunt Marge comparison, stickersheet display, close-up minifigures etc.

[Robert8]

On 5/27/2025 at 10:39 AM, mark1991t said:

New Harry (middle), Ron (right) and Hermione (left), for the HBO series:

Filming is expected to begin next week.

New Ron is the best one

I'd dare to say I like him better than the original from the movies. 

Harry looks odd. Maybe its the picture but he's giving Neville there

[mark1991t]

Via Reddit:

[brickbride]

StoneWars did a current EOL list for 2025, subject to change of course. Apart from more obvious sets like the D2C Diagon Alley, this also includes:

- the last remaining Hogsmeade set (train and station) - no big surprise here, though it makes me think that we'll be due another Hogwarts Express soon. They have to have one on the shelves and the booknook is a poor substitute for an actual train;

- Ollivanders and Madam Malkin's, which means they're fully committing to their super short cycle for the playset Diagon Alley (WWW went out before the third set was even available, and now the second set goes out before there can be a fourth);

- Boathouse, Owlery, Hagrid's Hut, Potions Class for the new modular Hogwarts all from 2024 and Duelling Club for the new modular Hogwarts from 2025 (!), so apparently here, too, they're going with "super short cycle in order to induce FOMO and prevent people from thinking too hard about how overpriced these things are";

- Aragog, which means we're probably due another Forbidden Forest set soon;

- a bunch of other sets like Dobby, Buckbeak, the Mandrake, and apparently the Durmstrang Ship which aren't connected to anything else.

Of course these are all still subject to change.

I do wonder how long they will be able to continue with the playset DA at this pace, as the shops will get less and less iconic (barring Gringotts which I'm sure we'll be getting sometime). Anyone starting to collect after this year will already miss both WWW and Ollivanders. That's not really an incentive for new buyers, especially kids!

Edited May 29 by brickbride