Six things we want to see from LEGO in 2026

With 2026 knocking at the door, here are six things we're crossing our fingers for when it comes to LEGO in the new year.

We've been winding down for 2025 with various looks back to what the LEGO Group has done throughout the year, which you can catch up on here if you haven't already. That process has inevitably got us thinking about what's coming in 2026 – and what we're hoping to see most of all.

There are exciting new themes already confirmed, enticing rumours that might pan out, and surely plenty of surprises in store for LEGO fans in the new year. We've whittled down our hopes to these six. Let us know your own down in the comments.

6 – Value for money

Perhaps the most pressing issue at the forefront of most LEGO fans' minds is value for money. In the year of the LEGO Group's most expensive set ever with 75419 Death Star, it's not just at the upper end of the spectrum where prices feel high. Even getting a mid-range play set in a theme like LEGO Marvel and Star Wars has felt pricey for many in 2025.

72046 Game Boy, however, is proof that the LEGO Group can still deliver a well-priced set that ticks every box in terms of build experience, looks, and even interactivity to a certain point, with the authentic feel to the buttons. That comes in a set connected to a third-party IP as well, which usually hikes up the price.

Yet the virtually unanimous verdict across the board is that 72046 Game Boy is worth every penny. We're hoping to see more excellent value LEGO sets at this price point in 2026. With budgets tightening for people around the world, there should be more sets available at mid-range price points that genuinely feel worth the money.

5 – Diversity in LEGO Pokémon

One of the most highly anticipated newcomers in 2026 will be an official LEGO Pokémon theme. New IPs can launch with different levels of success: look at the contrast between Animal Crossing and One Piece, as one example. LEGO Animal Crossing had a much more tentative approach, with smaller sets geared more towards play, despite the game having a strong adult audience as well as a younger one.

LEGO One Piece, on the other hand, catered to a wide range of interests and price ranges in an initial wave that received largely effusive praise across the board. We're hoping for more of the latter when it comes to LEGO Pokémon (and the early rumours seem to suggest that this could be the case).

For such a long-running, far-reaching franchise, Pokémon has the range and interest to foster affordable play sets for kids all the way up to detailed display models to please fans with deep pockets. However, we also want to see everything in between, with bite-sized display models for those who want to spend less and creative ways to play beyond the basics.

4 – Creativity in homegrown LEGO themes

While IP-based themes tend to get a lot of attention, we don't want the LEGO Group's in-house themes to fly under the radar. Some unsung heroes of the last few years stem from themes like City and Botanicals, and we want to see more of that in 2026.

Playing around with IP-free sets often makes them more affordable, as well as there being no constraints on LEGO designers' creativity. You can get a ready-made collection packed with unusual building techniques for less than £100 in the LEGO Botanicals Four Gentlemen collection, while LEGO City's 60484 Gaming Race Car and the other Rides cars, as well as meta models like 60500 The LEGO Van, are proof of how the theme is quietly releasing well-priced delights.

In the era of high LEGO prices, we've got our fingers crossed that the LEGO Group continues to innovate in its homegrown themes.

3 – Don't slow down in LEGO Formula 1

That doesn't mean that the LEGO Group should forget about its partnerships, however. We've touched on how the first year of the LEGO Formula 1 official partnership left something to be desired here, especially in the second half of the year. Early rumours suggest there's more creativity in the works for 2026, but we're really hoping the momentum doesn't slow down now that the big year of releases across multiple themes is over.

Fewer releases would be fine, so long as they come with a dash more creativity. Let's not continue the Formula 1 LEGO collaboration with just more cars. They're typically impressive – but a brand as varied as the LEGO Group can and should go beyond the basics. LEGO Art sets based on tracks, recreations of safety cars, and personalised homages to iconic drivers are all at the top of the list.

2 – Time to break the mould for big IPs

When it comes to some of the biggest franchises that the LEGO Group has partnered with of late, such as The Lord of the Rings and Zelda, for example, there's been a typical pattern forming, with huge and expensive sets released that are really only appealing or affordable to a select few. Not everyone has the space of the budget for 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell, for example.

However, as noted above, LEGO One Piece is proof that major IPs can sustain more diversity. 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire was somewhat of a step in the right direction, offering a lower price point than its predecessors, but the price dip came with quite a large dip in detail and quality, at least in the opinion of many fans.

For those brands with limited releases under the Icons theme, it would be great to see at least a few more varied sets. If we can't get a whole theme dedicated to these IPs, we should at least break the mould in other ways.

1 – The LEGO Star Wars pricing problem

We know we started with a note on price, but LEGO Star Wars' pricing deserves a spot all of its own. As one of the LEGO Group's most popular and enduring themes, 2025 was not the best year for the brick-built galaxy far, far away.

Not only did many of the sets across the board get slammed on pricing, but there were also concerns around the quality and stability of 75413 Republic Juggernaut. The LEGO Star Wars summer wave was a perfect storm of criticism, with fans feeling hard done by in terms of price, quality, and the initial inspiration of the sets.

As the theme that saved the LEGO Group from destruction in the '00s, we're hoping that 2026 will return the theme to its former glory with sets that can be genuinely enthused about, rather than the odd strong release among a range of overpriced models. The community is ready and waiting to enjoy sets based on The Mandalorian and Grogu, so fingers crossed the upcoming year delivers.

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