Lyichir

It's possible, though I don't know if I'd expect it. I think I've seen other non-Lego Fortnite merch that offers redeemable codes like that, whereas that's not really a "thing" for non-Lego Pokémon merch. And the incentives for doing so with Fortnite (a free to play game available across pc, mobile, and consoles) are probably higher than with Pokémon (a game series that's mainly on mobile and one console and costs money on console, meaning a potentially lower install base to market freebies toward). For that matter, the fact that Pokémon is "split" between multiple games and versions might be an issue if they were to do mystery gift codes, since I think mystery gift codes are typically game specific (i.e. a code for Legends Z-A could only be redeemed on that game, leaving people who only have Scarlet/Violet in the lurch). Fortnite is more "centralized" in a sense, so codes for that can be redeemed by anyone with that game and rewards can be used across various "modes" like Lego Fortnite.

Oh, good point! The new bluish lavender color (seen in the Daisies botanical set) could also maybe be useful for some like Koffing.

I think tan looks more appropriate for the look of the "lit" tower in this sort of nighttime cityscape, grey would've disappeared against the dark blue night sky backdrop. Sometimes colors are chosen more based on what a subject feels like in particular lighting conditions than the actual material color of a subject in neutral lighting.

To be honest as a fan of the original Jay ZX... I don't think the new one looks that bad? The gold armor now reads as a separate armor piece from the pauldron (which looks great in silver instead of light grey) but I don't necessarily feel like that's a bad look. The alternating gold and silver armor for the ninja was neat back in 2012, but I think the choice to use gold consistently for them works okay even if it's less authentic. The new dual molded masks look wonderfully crisp, too—the old printed ones were less precise sometimes and didn't perfectly match the shoulder armor, so I really like this update to them. Maybe if they're used beyond this wave we could even eventually get the blue/silver and black/silver versions anyway.

"18+" can be used for building complexity or licensed content but I don't really see a universe where Lego stops prioritizing kids in terms of actual product safety/durability. They have a reputation for safety to maintain, and a number on the box isn't going to be enough to keep different levels of durability segregated especially given that a lot of people will inevitably acquire mixed Lego secondhand. There are certainly advantages for third-party kits where they DON'T have to worry about catering to the same broad audience, and can tailor things more toward a hobbyist niche with the skills and experience to do more elaborate wiring, but I just don't see Lego pushing in that direction without some sort of solution to simplify that process. This is honestly just a sad perspective, there's hardly any point of Lego if you're catering to a situation where kids don't even bother to build their own. If not for the building experience you might as well buy them die-cast toys or other cheaper model kits where things aren't designed for building and rebuilding at all.

I think it's probably worth considering that the Galaxy Explorer and Lion Knight's Castle were originally 90th anniversary sets, which might've been one small factor in their popularity compared to their less well-received follow-ups. It's possible that Lego might take a break from these sorts of sets in off years, but even then I doubt they'll stop doing sets based on their history altogether, especially when we get to the even bigger 95th anniversary in two years.

I imagine if Lego gets involved in lighting their priorities will be different than third-party companies (which are largely aimed at older builders). For better or worse Lego tends to aim a little more kid-friendly even with their electronics systems, so I'd expect them to go bulkier and more resistant to tampering than these sorts of systems for threading thin wires between plates.

I wouldn't rule out a new big in-house theme next year. Don't forget that there'll be licensed themes cycling out too (Wicked, for example, is unlikely to persist long after the movie duology is complete). And it's not entirely uncommon for "Big bang" themes like Dreamzzz, Hidden Side, or Nexo Knights to debut in the middle of the year, instead of at the start. My comment about Monkie Kid in particular not necessarily getting a direct replacement had more to do with its specific positioning as a China-focused theme running alongside the other action theme du jour. Outside of evergreen themes like Ninjago and Friends, it's been rare in recent years for Lego to focus on more than one major action theme at a time (granted, the "action theme" category is mostly a fan construction). So Monkie Kid running alongside Hidden Side, then Dreamzzz was sort of a rare treat for fans of original story themes like that. I would not at all be surprised if Dreamzzz gets a replacement theme at least by 2027 if not earlier, but the idea of both it and Monkie Kid getting replacements is a lot less certain.

Hard to say whether there will BE a direct replacement. Monkie Kid always occupied an odd sort of niche, as a theme aimed at growing a particular market, which meant it co-existed alongside Ninjago and the other action themes of the day. Perhaps Lego feels like they no longer need a theme like that to secure their place in the Chinese market—there are also apparently more set numbers for the CTF (Chinese Traditional Festivals) sets for next year, so maybe their plan is to draw down Monkie Kid and replace it with a wider assortment of seasonal sets for that market.

Teaser for the next Zelda set. Does indeed look like it's gonna be Ganon! https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ5N1n1FfRk/

I mean, that one set was sort of a weird case (an existing Creator 3-in-1 set with extra parts, before they had decided to invest in fully unique sets for Lunar New Year). They've been doing GWP animals for each year since 2015 that are much more consistent. And while they haven't stuck with the exact same sort of subject matter overall, they have had a seasonal animal costume minifigure in at least one of the larger sets since 2019.

New sets are revealed! https://www.newelementary.com/2025/11/springfestival2026.html Sadly no building/scene sets for people who prefer those, but the galloping horse canvas feels quite unique and interesting.

I mean, I wouldn't necessarily chalk that up to anything besides there being one major November set release. January's gonna probably be the next big one where a ton of new molds are introduced across various themes. Nevertheless, a good part. Size-wise, it's very similar to the existing pointed arch design introduced for the Prince of Persia sets, and will probably see similar architectural uses. But the more traditional rounded shape will be very useful for all sorts of things—one that came to mind for me is wheel arches on certain types/sizes of trucks, which is the kind of application where you really do need a circular radius like that.

Just built Zoey's Time Owl! I had already liked the look of the set from pictures but after building it I was surprised by how large it is—the overall wingspan is quite wide!

Haha, yup! I'd been dreaming of stuff like this ever since back when "Lego Iwata" appeared in a Nintendo Direct to promote Lego City Undercover. Crazy to think that, over a decade later, the dream of closer collaboration between Nintendo and Lego has become real. I wonder if Lego will do anything else for this collab... I remember they created dream addresses you could visit and get custom patterns in for both Dots and Vidiyo back in the day, and it'd be cool if they did something similar to show off the sorts of things you can do with this new furniture!

Really gorgeous retro design! The SNOT curb is something I don't see in a lot of MOCs but looks really clean.

Recently got and built the Nightmare Shark Submarine! Both builds are really good, easily one of the standouts of this year's sets. Still a shame that tower set was cancelled... was recently thinking about it and I really think this year's sets suffer from the lack of any sort of location/centerpiece to do battle over. As it is there are still some very good sets, but they lack a setting to really help ground them as part of that same world, and that set seems like it would have been excellent for that purpose.

By the way, (off the subject of Series 6 and 7) is Series 5 due to be shipped soon? I don't remember the expected month but IIRC it was supposed to be this fall. I preordered the Mushroom Village set and it'll be a lovely surprise when it arrives.

My lenticular screen was like that too but I had assumed it was just a limitation of the lenticular tech used. The scrolling Nintendo logo has more "frames" of animation than the Mario and Zelda screens that just cycle between two frames each, so I figured that to get the logo to scroll all the way from the top to the middle they had to have it "share" the first and last frames like that. I'll be interested if you can get a "fixed" replacement, if so I might want to try to do so as well.

The 1x4 and 1x3 cheese slopes are visible in the Speed Champions DeLorean revealed today. Personally I'm hoping the introduction of longer cheese slopes helps reduce the complaints about sets that use cheese slopes for detailing doing so just to inflate the piece count with small parts.

I don't think this particular thing will affect trains at least as far as power is concerned, since it seems to be a self-contained brick without motors. I suppose it could still be used for light and sound functions in a train set with a separate system used to actually drive the train. I'm not sure how you mean? It doesn't seem to be a "social" app or anything like that. The most comparable thing currently, the Lego Mario app, doesn't really log anything about you except your age and allowing you to optionally link to a Lego.com username, both of which seem more to get broad demographic info about the app's users than anything else.

It doesn't sound like most of these functions will rely on phone screens per se, but I imagine that like the Lego Mario figures a mobile app will still be involved, most importantly to download software updates. Personally I don't mind that sort of use because it adds longevity to the smart brick so that it can be updated with new interactions over time, instead of either requiring all sound/light effects to be programmed in from the start or having to release new, separate bricks for each set so that you have to keep track of which bricks are compatible with which sets.

I mean, Nexo lasted three years and Hidden Side lasted two. Things not lasting forever is not a sign of failure in and of itself—otherwise I could point to plenty of "traditional" themes that had even less staying power. Also, your list leaves out Mindstorms and Technic (other tech-integrated themes that have had a much bigger impact overall than some of those one-off experimental themes), as well as non-"smart" electronic functions that go back even further (which this small, integrated brick seems to have more in common with in terms of how it facilitates play than things that function solely through an app interface). I think Lego benefits from having both traditional themes and things that explore new directions and modes of interaction. The latter existing doesn't eliminate the former, and can attract a different audience than traditional sets do on their own.

I think it sounds fine... like an evolution of classic light and sound elements from the 80s and 90s, with a bit more versatility (since it seems small and the same brick can make multiple sounds based on its interaction with other parts, instead of needing a bulky and specialized light and sound element for each set). Yes, it's mostly a novelty, but so are so many other gimmick features from throughout the years.

Interesting build! Is the diamond pattern on the roof just greebling/texture or is it meant to have a practical purpose of some sort for the vehicle?