LEGO Animal Crossing Designs Revealed

Nintendo and LEGO are teaming up once again, this time with sets based on the Animal Crossing franchise. At this time, details are extremely limited, but the new line was revealed in a teaser trailer featuring LEGO versions of several beloved characters, including Isabelle, Tom Nook, and Kapp'n. The characters can be seen staring up at the sky as a present balloon floats by. Interestingly enough, the Animal Crossing characters are all Minifigs, marking a departure from the Mario-themed sets we've seen over the last few years. 

The trailer for LEGO Animal Crossing can be found in the Tweet embedded below.

Welcome to…LEGO Animal Crossing!#AnimalCrossing #LEGO #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/A0XRzwVikh

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 5, 2023

LEGO Animal Crossing Possibilities

It's unclear whether these Minifigs will release in larger sets based on the Animal Crossing games, or if they'll be released in blind bags. LEGO has done licensed Minifig blind bags over the years, including options based on Marvel, Disney, and Looney Tunes; Animal Crossing would seem like a perfect fit. In the trailer, we can see eight figures in total, which could form the basis for a potential first wave. Given the sheer number of fan favorite villagers spanning the franchise's 20+ year history, that would be a smart way for LEGO to approach the license. Those Minifigs always come with accessories, and that could be a way for LEGO to release things like the present balloon, fishing rod, and more.

Of course, it's just as possible that we'll see different sets based on the game. Locations like Nook's Cranny and the Museum could make for great sets. A leak back in August seemed to suggest full sets were coming, but readers should take that with a grain of salt pending an official announcement. Hopefully Nintendo and LEGO won't keep us waiting for too much longer!

Animal Crossing Games

The Animal Crossing franchise started back in 2001, first appearing on the N64 in Japan. The game received a port on GameCube one year later, and that version released in North America. Since then, the series has been a staple of Nintendo platforms, appearing on systems like Wii, DS, and 3DS. The series was always a modest seller, but that all changed in the Nintendo Switch era. Animal Crossing: New Horizons released on the system in 2020, where it far outsold any previous game in the series. As of this writing, the game is the second best-selling on Nintendo Switch, with more than 42 million copies sold. By comparison, the previous best-selling game in the series was Animal Crossing: New Leaf, which sold 13 million copies.

The success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has led to a ton of product based on the series, including Build-a-Bear plushes, a Monopoly game, and even special chocolates from Godiva. Given that, LEGO content makes a lot of sense!

Are you excited about the idea of Animal Crossing LEGO sets? Would you like to see Minifig blind bags or full sets? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!