LEGO’s New Gaming Strategy Faces Challenging Obstacles

Back in 2005, when LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game hit the shelves, it marked the beginning of a hugely successful era for LEGO in the gaming world. Traveller’s Tales, the team behind this celebrated title, went on to apply their winning formula across a variety of popular franchises. Fans of superhero sagas could dive into LEGO Marvel Super Heroes and LEGO Batman, while fantasy enthusiasts could get lost in LEGO Harry Potter or LEGO The Lord of the Rings. For adventure seekers, titles like LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean or LEGO Indiana Jones were a treasure trove of fun. Whatever your gaming preference was, LEGO seemed to have something special in store. However, this extensive catering to fans might be seeing a shift.

Post-launch of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in 2022, troubling reports about crunch times at Traveller’s Tales surfaced, eventually leading LEGO to conclude its exclusive partnership with them. With this change, we’ve seen several LEGO games by other developers hit the market. Notably, LEGO itself has started establishing an in-house studio to produce new game titles. While the specifics remain unclear, it appears these new ventures are set to face significant challenges in gaining fan approval.

With LEGO handing the reins over to various studios, the gaming industry has been eager to create fresh experiences. An early result of this expansion was LEGO 2K Drive, a game that steered the LEGO brand into the racing genre. While it had its moments of fun, the journey wasn’t entirely smooth. Many gamers found the live-service aspects a sticking point, and it didn’t quite stack up to the high standards set by Traveller’s Tales.

Next up was LEGO Horizon Adventures, which offered a unique take on the Horizon Zero Dawn universe using LEGO’s charming style. Although it brought a fresh twist to a beloved Sony series, it, too, failed to measure up. The game design fell short, and it struggled to captivate those unfamiliar with the franchise, leaving them unimpressed.

Since the exclusive rights with Traveller’s Tales ended, only LEGO Fortnite, crafted by Epic Games, seems to have captured any significant attention. This collection of LEGO-inspired adventures nestled within Fortnite has resonated with players. Other titles, however, have failed to ignite the same enthusiasm. The new direction LEGO is taking has left some fans skeptical, with many eagerly anticipating Traveller’s Tales’ next project instead.

Recently, LEGO announced plans to establish its own game development studio. The question remains: what will this look like? Judging by recent releases, these upcoming projects may also grapple with winning fans over. Long development times mean that these new games are still on the horizon, and if they don’t enhance the quality, there’s a risk that players might move on by then.

While predicting LEGO’s future is difficult, there’s potential that this new studio could deliver exactly what the brand needs, bringing a range of exciting new titles to life. Conversely, some players may choose to wait for the next big hit from Traveller’s Tales, skipping the others. In the end, only time will tell the direction this iconic brand will take in the gaming universe.