New themes in 2022?

[Megbricks]

It’s only the beginning of summer but I am wondering if we will get new themes coming in 2022. 
I am wondering what these could be and what it could be replacing. Any themes ending with 2021?
wasn’t there something (a rumour) saying that it wasn’t  the last time we saw the hidden side characters? Like a reboot rumour or something? 
what do you think could come next?

I am hoping for aliens…

 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Megbricks

[Natant16]

I'm pretty sure that was just an idea, and not an actual rumor or leak.

[Megbricks]

5 hours ago, Natant16 said:

I'm pretty sure that was just an idea, and not an actual rumor or leak.

Oh ok. I really can’t remember. :)

[Lego David]

I think Monkie Kid might end in 2022 after the usual three-year theme cycle (I don't think the theme was successful enough to get more) but as far as I know there are no new themes coming. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Lego David

[Megbricks]

18 hours ago, Lego David said:

I think Monkie Kid might end in 2022 after the usual three-year theme cycle (I don't think the theme was successful enough to get more) but as far as I know there are no new themes coming. 

Yeah. I never really got into monkie kid. There are some good things about it. I feel the first wave was just so expensive that I wasn’t drawn into it. I am hoping for at least a small new theme for 2022…

[Lego David]

4 hours ago, Megbricks said:

I am hoping for at least a small new theme for 2022…

Well, I am afraid the era of small new themes ended at the start of the 2010's decade. Nowdays, whenever we get new original themes it is something made to last at least a couple of waves, and we are no longer getting the fun one-off themes we had so many of a decade ago. Ever since Ninjago came to the scene, all other original themes have unfortunately stagnated, because LEGO prefers to dump all their ideas into a pre-existing theme instead of coming up with something completely new on its own.

[Megbricks]

8 hours ago, Lego David said:

Well, I am afraid the era of small new themes ended at the start of the 2010's decade. Nowdays, whenever we get new original themes it is something made to last at least a couple of waves, and we are no longer getting the fun one-off themes we had so many of a decade ago. Ever since Ninjago came to the scene, all other original themes have unfortunately stagnated, because LEGO prefers to dump all their ideas into a pre-existing theme instead of coming up with something completely new on its own.

Yeah:( i miss these small themes. I have nothing really against ninjago but like you said it’s become a “dump-it-all-in” theme. We could have gotten a small underwater theme, a small video game theme, etc… with new heroes. Hopefully these changes eventually. :/

[Lyichir]

Honestly as much as I enjoy new themes I'd be satisfied with the Monkie Kid theme getting, like, any media or promotion in this half of the world. It's very frustrating to see such a promising, high-quality theme (with great sets AND story media) go virtually unknown. I'd love to know what the holdup has been—preferably BEFORE the theme reaches the end of its lifespan.

[Kim-Kwang-Seok]

I think new and creative themes are always great but probably it's just not worth it. Look at how much effort and creativity TLG has put in the last in house themes: Elves, Nexo knights, Hidden Side, and even the movie set lines + the DC minidoll line is something mostly made up by TLG though not their own licence. 


...but either non of them were working out that good or they were not designed to run longer. I can just say that the last waves of all of these lines had a lot to offer and even some kind of media product going along with them but at least from what info I have those good last waves were all ending up on sale and there wasn't a huge cry after continuation.

Some hardcore fans would say they are not classic enough but I fear that they are to limited despite the wide range. Had Hidden side incorporated more facets; maybe it would have been more interesting. But I think the market is just tough for a hand-on toy like Lego today and even harder for non-licenced themes.

I still dream of a spin off show from ninjago with 1-3 characters (lets say Lloyd, Akita and someone else) in a more european medevil world (with some more stuff that makes if interesting of course) with its own name and line.

In any case I am doubtful of TLG's incorporation of technology. It's a great idea in general but so far it wasn't very advanced and seems mostly expensive. I think with any in-house theme they should focus on:
 

• the inclusion of board games - it's easy and cheap; Lego is perfect for that. Just give us back big plates or at least carton maps and cards. They could even give us Lego cubes and other things.
• better parts. Both for the looks but also for features. I cann't believe their 3-4 shooting mechanisms and ball joints is all you can do. The old ball joints are not looking too good and are way too weak for the bigger sets. Give us new specialized pieces that look good and have more functionality. The Lego City pull back motorcycles are a big step forward IF they work well.

[Megbricks]

Giving this a Bump! 

On 7/11/2021 at 4:33 PM, Kim-Kwang-Seok said:

..but either non of them were working out that good or they were not designed to run longer. I can just say that the last waves of all of these lines had a lot to offer and even some kind of media product going along with them but at least from what info I have those good last waves were all ending up on sale and there wasn't a huge cry after continuation

I still hope that we will get something new. Licenced or not. I think they have the power to make something in house that would work. But like it was said: the market is tough. 

[Kim-Kwang-Seok]

7 hours ago, Megbricks said:

Giving this a Bump! 

I still hope that we will get something new. Licenced or not. I think they have the power to make something in house that would work. But like it was said: the market is tough. 

but it takes work. Like think of how long and diverse ninjago has served Lego. It was a really weird idea to begin with and they put a lot of effort into it - music, voice casting, lore...
...and TLG wanted to cancel it at least 6 times.

If something weird as ninjago worked out like gold, I'm sure there are other formulari. But they needa good team with ressources for developing them.

[Lyichir]

6 hours ago, Kim-Kwang-Seok said:

but it takes work. Like think of how long and diverse ninjago has served Lego. It was a really weird idea to begin with and they put a lot of effort into it - music, voice casting, lore...
...and TLG wanted to cancel it at least 6 times.

If something weird as ninjago worked out like gold, I'm sure there are other formulari. But they needa good team with ressources for developing them.

I'm really confused by the assertion that Lego wanted to cancel Ninjago "at least six times". As far as I'm aware there was only one near-cancellation (the post-2013 one), and not long after that it started being considered an evergreen part of Lego's portfolio.

I'm all for more "action themes", but I hope for that with the understanding that something as long lasting as Ninjago is the exception, not the norm. Few Lego themes last longer than three years and many beloved action themes of earlier years were lucky to get one to two years. Even successful "big bang" themes like Nexo Knights and Chima ended three years in despite HEAVY investment in development, media, and marketing. That's the reality of the toy industry—sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle, and continuing to invest in those kinds of concepts can help them to have a lasting impact, but that doesn't mean that pouring money into new ideas will guarantee success. On the contrary, overinvesting in something that fails to sustain an audience can turn what starts as a modest success into an expensive failure.

[Megbricks]

I personally  would be ok with a New 1-2 wave(s) theme  per year. To explore new ideas. Maybe it could be subthemes of a greater theme, like they are doing with city, Spin-offs of other themes etc… I miss lego dimensions where we had so many new licenced stuff but I am also really hoping for more in house stuff. :)

[TeriXeri]

If there's any theme, I'd like a dedicated 3-in-1 spinoff to Buildings/Houses/Shops , and then compatible with eachother, like a cheaper series of modular buildings to make a street, sets wont have any vehicles included, and no City/Friends large panels.

3-in-1 had some compatible building series before, notably the 2014-2017 hinged buildings, and 2018-2019 "modules" , but last couple years there aren't that many Town buildings anymore.

 

As for action themes, something without an app, tv show, just creativity, and also not exclusive to just LEGO.com (monkie kid).

Maybe some historic-action theme, no mechs or sci-fi vehicles (unless it's a spaceship focused sci-fi theme), or some fantasy-magic based theme like Elves.

Edited October 13, 2021 by TeriXeri

[neithan]

Something like playmobil novelmore - a steampunky-ish castle theme, with dragons, wizards, flying ships, ...

I would like that. :--D

[Lion King]

I prefer the return of the in-house themes….like, uh, oh yeah….Johnny Thunder! Or Pirates! Or Castle! Or Blacktron III (i make it up)!I regret for not getting some Castle or Pirates themes from 2013 and 2015 respectively. I’m personally not satlified with Pirate Ship or Medieval Castle sets, just not enough to have their own themes, in my opinion. 

We have Ninjago for, like, over 10 years. And Nexus Knights barely lasted for 2 or 3 years. What next? Futuristic pirates with solar-powered pirate ship? Or Johnny Thunder Jr’s Adventure? We will see….

[Lion King]

Oh yeah. For those who loves Halloween, I think it would be great to have a new one-set-per-year theme - Autumn or Halloween Village, similar to Winer Village. :) of course it won’t be likely for 2022 but hopefully, it would happen in future. 

[Meaf]

4 hours ago, DBlegonerd7 said:

We have Ninjago for, like, over 10 years. And Nexus Knights barely lasted for 2 or 3 years. What next? Futuristic pirates with solar-powered pirate ship? Or Johnny Thunder Jr’s Adventure? We will see….

I dunno about anyone else but a sci-fi pirates theme sounds awesome. A sort of anachronistic series with highly advanced pirates ships in the same vein as Next Knights was to Castle sounds cool, but I also think a more classic space theme where the main characters are more pirate-esque would be neat. Sort of like Space Police III, but with the villains as the protagonists.

[Vindicare]

On 7/11/2021 at 9:07 AM, Lyichir said:

Honestly as much as I enjoy new themes I'd be satisfied with the Monkie Kid theme getting, like, any media or promotion in this half of the world. It's very frustrating to see such a promising, high-quality theme (with great sets AND story media) go virtually unknown. I'd love to know what the holdup has been—preferably BEFORE the theme reaches the end of its lifespan.

I agree. I absolutely love the theme. The color schemes are great, especially Mei’s & MK’s. The builds have been enjoyable so far, i have 5(not including the polybag). The minifig designs are all fun. I don’t see why they think the sets wouldn’t sell here with a wider availability. Granted they’re noticeably different, but with the demand of wanting the CNY sets one would imagine TLG would know the demand for Asian inspired sets is there. 

On 10/13/2021 at 8:16 PM, Meadius said:

I dunno about anyone else but a sci-fi pirates theme sounds awesome. A sort of anachronistic series with highly advanced pirates ships in the same vein as Next Knights was to Castle sounds cool, but I also think a more classic space theme where the main characters are more pirate-esque would be neat. Sort of like Space Police III, but with the villains as the protagonists.

I’d also like to see something like Exo-Force make a return. As a kid I loved Exo Squad(which were kinda like space pirates...) & with the amazing mechs they’ve been putting out lately, I think it would be a hit. 

[Meaf]

6 hours ago, Vindicare said:

I’d also like to see something like Exo-Force make a return. As a kid I loved Exo Squad(which were kinda like space pirates...) & with the amazing mechs they’ve been putting out lately, I think it would be a hit. 

A new Exo-Force or something in the same vein would be awesome, but I feel like between Ninjago and Monkie Kid, there isn't a whole lot of room for an entirely mech-based series. Maybe we'll see something like that in a few years, once Monkie Kid is over and assuming Lego is still on the mech kick they've been on for the last couple of years.

[TeriXeri]

On 10/14/2021 at 1:11 AM, DBlegonerd7 said:

We have Ninjago for, like, over 10 years. And Nexus Knights barely lasted for 2 or 3 years. What next? Futuristic pirates with solar-powered pirate ship? Or Johnny Thunder Jr’s Adventure? We will see….

Nexo lasted almost 3 years, 5 waves of sets, for 4 waves of sets it was directly inspired from the TV show they made for it. (Encyclopedia Book says the vehicles were designed for the Show 1st, then adapted to LEGO sets, which make sense since that same book has a lot of concept art)

It also had 32 Magazines and quite a lot of books (2 with exclusive figures), and some smaller books with figures from sets.

Monkey Kid does have Mechs , Flyers, a Ship and big wheel vehicles, but I do think a full Space theme could still fit in there, especially like you say, Space Pirates or Adventurers.

 

 

Space Pirates/Adventurers would be like Exploring planets , asteroids etc for treasure / relics / technology or something.

Maybe there could still have some action sets like robbing a space bank, or infiltrating some alien lair for some sets.

Edited October 16, 2021 by TeriXeri

[Bobbtom]

I hope it's not yet another futuristic-space-mech theme. I hope for a more grounded theme like monster hunters. Currently there's a huge number of futuristic-space-mech themes/sets: star wars, ninjago, monkie kid, city, ideas sets. It all becomes samey and tired

[Vindicare]

14 hours ago, Meadius said:

A new Exo-Force or something in the same vein would be awesome, but I feel like between Ninjago and Monkie Kid, there isn't a whole lot of room for an entirely mech-based series. Maybe we'll see something like that in a few years, once Monkie Kid is over and assuming Lego is still on the mech kick they've been on for the last couple of years.

Definitely. The crossover would likely shelve an action theme like that at least until MK retires. Even then, maybe not. MK isn’t much of a sales threat to Ninjago I’m sure considering the exclusivity of the theme. I’d settle for it under the Ninjago banner. Lloyd & Zane’s Titan Mechs are both amazing. 

[Lion King]

11 hours ago, Bobbtom said:

I hope it's not yet another futuristic-space-mech theme. I hope for a more grounded theme like monster hunters. Currently there's a huge number of futuristic-space-mech themes/sets: star wars, ninjago, monkie kid, city, ideas sets. It all becomes samey and tired

I’m not sure if I understand your point - Are you saying futuristc space-mech as in “mech armor”? Mech in City theme???

 I asked becuase I am not sure if you refer “mech” to spacecraft instead of mech armors (take a look at Marvel theme). 

[TeriXeri]

At least based  introduction / retirement , Action themes went from Chima (2013-2015), to Nexo (2016-2018), to Hidden Side (2nd half 2019-2020), to Monkie Kid. (2nd half 2020 - now)

There was some overlap with the 2020 Hidden Side and Monkie Kid sets being available, but that was only a few months, sets being sold for less then 6 months seems pretty odd to me in case of Hidden Side quick retirement, aside from the firetruck set, lasting 4 months longer then the rest.

Themes being planned ahead in advance makes sense in the case of Nexo's last wave being anticipated to be short (the show ended in 2017), and Hidden Side was probably in development during late 2017, and then I assume Monkie Kid got the priority eventually, being now the main in-house action theme beside Ninjago.

 

Maybe there's room for something niche like a Faerie Fantasy, or different type of Pirates type theme (Vidiyo figures were not the typical Classic figures), which could appeal to both boys and girls , I don't see a Minidoll action theme happening however.

Currently, short term for 2022, I think the most interesting development to keep an eye at is how there are no Legacy Ninjago sets this itme around, but sets called EVO, which seems like cheaper set segment instead of remakes of old sets.

Edited October 18, 2021 by TeriXeri