LEGO’s Latest Video Game Strategy Faces a Difficult Crossroad

Since LEGO and Traveller’s Tales teamed up in 2005 to launch LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game, the iconic block-based brand has made quite a mark in the gaming world. Traveller’s Tales cleverly adapted their winning formula across a variety of beloved franchises. Superhero aficionados dove into LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman, while fantasy enthusiasts explored the wizarding world with LEGO Harry Potter and journeyed through Middle-earth in LEGO The Lord of the Rings. For those craving adventure, LEGO delivered with LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean or LEGO Indiana Jones. Essentially, LEGO had something for everyone. However, winds of change are on the horizon.

The release of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in 2022 brought with it tales of intense work pressure within Traveller’s Tales, prompting LEGO to end its exclusive partnership with them. Since this split, a handful of LEGO games from other developers have made their debut. On top of that, LEGO has reportedly started building its own in-house studio with plans to churn out even more LEGO games. With these new developments, fans may find challenges ahead in how they receive these titles.

In opening its doors to other gaming studios, LEGO unleashed a flurry of new projects for their fans to explore. One such venture was LEGO 2K Drive, which experimented with taking LEGO into the racing genre. Despite offering some entertainment, it fell short of the expectations set by Traveller’s Tales, largely due to its over-reliance on live-service elements. Next, LEGO Horizon Adventures emerged, blending the LEGO charm with the Horizon Zero Dawn universe. Although it brought a fresh twist to a beloved PlayStation series, its uninspired level design and gameplay didn’t quite match the heights of old favorites. While it may satisfy series veterans, it struggles to entice new players.

So far, the standout post-Traveller’s Tales success has been the partnership with Epic Games to bring LEGO into Fortnite, creating engaging LEGO-themed adventures within the game. Aside from this, the newer LEGO games have struggled to ignite the passionate enthusiasm of the fanbase. Many are simply waiting to see what Traveller’s Tales will do next. However, LEGO seems poised to chart a new path.

Recently, LEGO disclosed plans to form its own studio for future game development. What this venture will look like is still unclear, but if history holds lessons, these new games may struggle to win over a fan base accustomed to Traveller’s Tales’ magic touch. Add the lengthy development cycles to the mix, and it might be some time before players get their first glimpse of LEGO’s in-house projects. Should these upcoming games not meet or exceed expectations, there’s a risk that fans might move on in search of more compelling experiences.

Of course, forecasting the future is always risky. This new LEGO studio might just be the innovative push needed to bring forth a host of thrilling new gaming adventures. Or, perhaps, fans may choose to await Traveller’s Tales’ next masterpiece while casually dismissing other offerings. Ultimately, only time will tell how these fresh developments will sculpt the future of LEGO games.