The LEGO andFortnitecollaboration started as a game and is going through a bit of a change. WhenLEGO Fortnitewas first released it was a pseudoMinecraftsurvival game, However as the pair expands their partnership,LEGO Fortniteis now, like the rest ofFortnite, more of a platform. The original game rebranded asLEGO Fortnite Odyssey, to showcase its adventure game status.
Nothing much has changed aside the name. It’s still very much a place for adventure. You start off with nothing and craft your way to better opportunities, using exploration to fill out the map and stumble upon exciting moments. As the game ages past its first birthday, we’ve seen a few updates to push the experience further and add longevity for its players. Bigger than that though is the expansion of the LEGO brand on the Fortnite homepage.
This shift in branding has opened up the partnership, makingLEGO Fortnitea place to be, rather than one experience. A cursory glance intimates the direction the two juggernaut companies want to explore - it looks as if they’re taking onRoblox.
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This is seen clearly in the latest LEGO experience to be added to the platform,LEGO Brick Life, which feels a lot like the lifestyle games ofRoblox.Welcome to Bloxburg,Mad City 2, andBrookhaven RPare just a few that put the player in a small city with friends to role-play some form of life. And nowFortniteis getting a slice of the pie, rather than watch as players, particularly younger players, abandon them forRoblox.
Roblox Corporation
This new game gives players a city to hang out in with no stakes - you can’t even earn XP here, it’s just good vibes and hanging out with friends. It shows that the two companies are aiming to further expandFortniteas a platform, and it’s likely we’ll see more game types appear as Epic Games looks to dominate the industry for yet another year.
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Epic Games
This expansion also works because both companies make money from each other and can cross-promote. One of the updates toLEGO Fortnite Odysseywas about Star Wars, and you can now find bases across the map designed after the films. You can wield a blaster, or a lightsaber, too. It has become the ultimate toy box, perhaps finally capturing what the ‘toys to life’ movement initially intended to do, swapping the plastic toys for in-game skins.
It essentially becomes a sand box for those who play, and it’s only going to get bigger. When we spoke to Remi Marcelli, SVP and Head of LEGO GAME from the LEGO Group, we discussed the future of the partnership, and what players can expect over the coming years.
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“When we launchedLEGO Fortnite12 months ago, we always said it was just the beginning, and we would continue to grow and expand our offering – with the launches ofLEGO Fortnite OdysseyandLEGO Fortnite Brick Lifebeing the next part of that,” said Marcelli.
Does this mean the two companies will begin to tap into the wealth of IP that LEGO has to hand? Marcelli plays it pretty coy, saying, “Who knows where future collaborations may pop up inLEGO Fortnitein the near future… watch this space!”
Epic Games
We’ve already seen Star Wars appear inLEGO Fortnite Odyssey. And in another of the platform’s games, we’ve had the chance to interact with another of the huge LEGO properties, Ninjago, via theLEGO Battle Arena. It would be foolish to not take advantage of one another’s reach. Epic Games has huge ties with Disney, as does LEGO, giving it a distinct leg up overRobloxand other competitors.
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Of course, there’s a cynical part of me that believes this release of LEGO properties is well-timed on the part ofFortnite, Epic Games and its partners. We’ve looked on at the fallout towardsRobloxin recent years and seen the seemingly never-ending controversies of child labour, child exploitation, and a lack of safety options for users. This creates a perfect gap for someone to swoop in and capitalise.
Millions of people are already tapped intoFortnite, so why let them go over to a competitor who perhaps doesn’t oversee the details of the games on their platform, when you can keep the players here and give them a safer experience. One developed over years of updates and changes to the Battle Royale.
How does that work for LEGO? Do the two companies influence each other? Marcelli believes so, saying, “What’s important is that our two brands have a strong set of shared values – we both believe in unleashing creativity and imagination through amazing, immersive play experiences that enable everyone to participate.”
Disney X Epic Games
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Of course, LEGO is a family product and while there are some playful moments of violence in the adventure game, it provides a breather from the frantic gun play ofFortnite’sother game modes. This, again, allows the companies to tap into a new audience, providing a new space of younger gamers who can move through the various aspects of the platform.
He went on to say, “You can find hundreds of these creator-made LEGO Fortnite Islands to explore, all offering different and unique play experiences, with something for everyone.” However, he’s quick to set minds at ease and emphasise player safety as he continues, “LEGO Islands is ensuring they are appropriately rated to allow players of all ages to discover and enjoy them, which is an ESRB rating of E10+ or lower to be accessible to players in the United States, and a PEGI rating of 7 or lower to be accessible to players in most of Europe.”
Epic Games
I’ll be honest, when I first playedLEGO Fortnite Odysseyback on day one I enjoyed it a lot, but it felt like a stop-gap, something that could be an experiment on the way to something larger. Perhaps that was the case, though the fans still playing are forcing evolution to keep the game fresh, and now we’re seeing this broadening of horizons.
After dabbling in many more LEGO Islands, it seems the shift is stark. This expansion is a bold line in the sand that doesn’t only set up the future of LEGO in an interactive space, but it also gives us a view of the future ofFortnite. One that is already set to bring a “Disney Experience” to players after the house of mouse invested $1.5 billion into Epic Games.
For years, we’ve pfffted at terms like ‘metaverse’ despite Tim Sweeny’s insistence on this being his end goal, and we are edging closer to that reality withFortnitebecoming the hub and each of the partnered brands taking care of different demographics. I’m unconvinced if this is a bad thing, but I do know that the reach ofFortniteand LEGO won’t stop in 2025, or even in 2026. They’re coming for more players, and they’re definitely coming forRoblox. I didn’t get a chance to ask Marcelli if theRobloxcomparison, or structured competition, was fair or even intended, but it’s hard to imagine that it’s not.
Topics:Fortnite,Lego,Epic Games
