The Forge is a fantasy RPG Roblox experience, where you’ll play as one of the many races that inhabit the lands. Whether that’s as a human, a goblin, or a dragonborn will all depend on reroll chances. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more. But if you don’t like the character you get given, our list of The Forge codes will help you out with additional rerolls.
It’s no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You’ll then throw those ores into the forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you to make items with special traits and designs.
Working The Forge Codes (November 2025)
These are the currently active for The Forge:
100K! – Free Rerolls x3 (NEW!)
40KLIKES – Free Rerolls x5
20KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2
15KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2
10KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2, Luck Totem x1
5KLIKES – Free Rerolls x2, Miner Totem x1
BETARELEASE! – Free Rerolls x2
POSTRELEASEQNA – Free Reroll x1
Expired The Forge Codes (November 2025)
These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:
RELEASE
How to Use The Forge Codes
Ready to redeem the codes above? Here’s what you need to do:
Open the Settings menu in the top left corner of the screen.
Scroll down to the bottom of Settings to find the Codes bar
Copy the code from this article
Enter the code into the “Type Here” bar
Press claim
Why Isn’t My Code for The Forge Working?
When a code doesn’t work for The Forge, it’s usually because of two reasons:
The code for The Forge has expired
There’s a spelling mistake or an additional space in the code
Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you’ve got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they’re working. Just double-check that you haven’t copied over an extra space!
How to Get More Codes for The Forge
We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.
When Is the Next Update for The Forge?
The Forge has just released in beta and is currently celebrating its Release Event. This is due to run until Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025. No updates have been currently announced, but the creators of The Forge have said that new features, content, and mechanics will be added to the experience. As soon as new information is announced, we’ll add it here.
Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.
TCGPlayer is joining in on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday fun with their Cyber Weekend event.
Starting on November 28 at 9 am ET, trainers will get 10% back in store credit on their TCGPlayer account from whatever they buy.
This promotion will be running until December 1, 11 pm ET. So if you’ve been waiting for your favorite chase cards to go down in value to snap them up, this is it.
TCGPlayer does these promotions once or twice a year for a big holiday like Black Friday and Halloween, but this 10% credit offer comes while Pokémon TCG is finding a new floor.
That much is clear just by looking at the most recent Pokémon TCG set, Phantasmal Flames. But more on that later, long story short, this is a great time to pick up chase cards.
But which chase cards should you buy on TCGPlayer’s Cyber Weekend? Well, I’ve handpicked some of the best cards from Mega Evolution, Scarlet and Violet, and the Sword and Shield eras of Pokémon TCG for you to catch.
The Best Modern Chase Cards to Look Out For
Scarlet and Violet has been one of the best era’s in recent memory for chase cards with multiple banger sets, and yes I know Evolving Skies from Sword and Shield was insane, more on that later. 151, Black Bolt/White Flare, Destined Rivals, Prismatic Evolutions and Twilight Masquerade collectively hold the most expensive chase cards of this era.
That’s great and all, but it means more money spent on catching the best cards going. Then the latest era, Mega Evolution is off to a flying start with its base set and Phantasmal Flames expansion bringing back Pokémons most popular gimmick from the main games. There’s a lot to focus on, just the carousel above will proove that much, but just focus on what stands out to you and what fits into your budget.
So the top 5 cards here value wise are Umbreon ex SIR, Mega Charizard X ex SIR, Mega Charizard X ex Gold Hyper Rare, Team Rocket’s Mewtwo ex SIR and Mega Lucario ex Gold Hyper Rare. Even though Mega Evolution sets have dropped in value significantly since launch, they’re still putting out some of the most valuable cards in modern Pokémon TCG.
Umbreon is never going to be knocked off the top spot, not even Charizard can do that, but it’s going to be the best time to snap it up on TCGPlayer. Let’s do some quick math; 10% of $1,294.99 is $129.49, which is going to be the minimum cashabck you’ll recieve after purchasing Sunbreon. That means you could put that credit towards Roaring Moon ex SIR from the same set and grab it for $42.14 instead of $171.63. Oh, then you’d also get another 10% cashback from that purchase which is $17.16. It’s the best kind of snowball i’ve ever seen.
But even with the cashback, Sunbreon will still cost a fortune regardless of how good the deal is, so let’s pick out something that you’re other half won’t kill you (as much) for. Greninja SIR ex from Twilight Masquerade absolutley pops and is easily one of the best artworks in the Scarlet and Violet era. Whilst you might think $325 is steep, this card was touching $380 just a week or two ago. So getting $32.50 back as 10% cashback to effectively get this card for $292.50. Now that’s a great investment, which is also the near-mint price.
The Best Scarlet and Violet Promo Cards To Catch
The Scarlet and Violet era has also been a very strong era for promo cards. This means anything from a STAFF stamped card to a Pokémon Center stamped card found inside Pokémon Center-exclusive Elite Trainer Boxes.
One of my favorites from the Scarlet and Violet era is the Paldea Evolved Pokémon Center exclusive Elite Trainer Box (Takes a deep breath). It features Pikachu alongside the Paldea starter Pokémon in a “Let’s go suit shopping” pose that has the power to cause genuine cardiac arrest. A stunning card.
Now considering the exclusive Elite Trainer Box is currently going for $500 sealed right now, the $119 price tag for the card is actually quite cheap. And when you consider the $11.90 cashback you’d get off buying the card, that’s not a bad deal at all.
Keeping in with the Pikachu theme, one of my favorite promos from Scarlet and Violet that I actually own is Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat. This costs even more than the ETB at $547.99 right now, which is a big drop from around $647 just days ago. I’ve written about the full story behind this infamous card previously, but this is a fantastic time to get this card thanks to the extra $54.79 you’ll get in cashback this weekend.
The Best Sword and Shield Chase Cards You Can’t Miss
Yes, we’re about to talk about Evolving Skies, well done for waiting until the end of the article. I remember walking into stores on release and not being able to move for Evolving Skies boosters, premium collections and Elite Trainer Boxes, often below MSRP. It’s frankly insane how much this set it worth compared to how available it used to be.
It’s the home of the most valuable Sword and Shield era chase cards for the most part, including Moonbreon, Rayquazza VMAX Alt Art, Umbreon V Alt Art, Dragonite V Alt Art, most of the Eeveelution VMAX Alt Arts and the stunning Rayquaza V Alt full art.
Apologies for just going mad listing cards, but this is why it’s costing north of $2,000 just for a Booster Box. Of course you’d also get $200 in cashback which is awesome, but just wow. If you’re looking to get some big chase cards for a steal in TCGPlayer’s Cyber Weekend, start with Evolving Skies.
Sword and Shield isn’t just about one set though, Fusion Strike, Lost Origins and Silver Tempest also have some god tier level grails. The Secret Alt Art of Gengar VMax for example is currently $730, which is over double the worth of the next Fusion Strike chase card down the line, Espeon VMAX Secret Alt Art, running at $329.58 right now.
If you’re looking for an amazing chase card that isn’t going to require a remortgage, Lugia V Alt Full Art from Silver Tempest is a banger. Other than me being really proud of myself getting it for under $150 earlier this year, the mood in this card thanks to Lugia jumping out of the ocean in the middle of a storm over a fisherman is stunning. Hands down the best Lugia Pokémon Card ever printed.
TCGPlayer Subscription
If you’re planning on snapping up quite a few Pokémon cards in the sale, this is a great time to become a TCGPLayer subscriber. It costs $8.99 a month and gives users free delivers and 1% cashback regardless of the time of year.
Whilst this climbs to 3% after a years membership, subscriber will get a boosted 13% cashback over cyber weekend on top of their usual cashback. For longtime members, this could equate to 16% cashback, which is frankly insane.
For even more card recommendations in TCGPlayer’s Black Friday/Cyber Weekend sale, check out our brand new Riftbound and Magic: The Gathering roundups as well.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Board game nights thrive on novelty. So if your board game collection could use some updating, Black Friday is the time to do it. That’s when you can save up to 50% off board games of all kinds. Plenty of games are discounted right now, from family-friendly board games to more serious strategy board games. Read on to see what games we recommend picking up for cheap before Black Friday ends.
The Best Black Friday Board Game Today
You want to see all the best Black Friday board game deals in one place? That’s easy, my friend, just scroll through the catalog above and you’ll get them. If you’d rather separate the more in-depth heavyweight board games from the family-weight games, keep on reading, because I have them divvied into those categories below. Almost all of the discounts are available in Amazon’s Black Friday sale, but there are a few from Walmart and Target we’ve featured as well.
Board Games for Adults on Sale
Note that these are board games for adults, rather than adult-oriented board games. There’s nothing naughty going on in these. They’re aimed at adults in that they’re a bit too complicated for younger board gamers to grasp. They involve strategy. They might involve horror. They’re complex and may require patience. You can still play them while drinking, though, so don’t worry there if your board game group enjoys tipping a glass.
Family-Friendly Board Game Deals
Many of these family-friendly board games can be perfectly fun to play with your board game group, but you can also pull them out when the kids are looking for something to do and they’ve used up all their screen time. Some of these are super basic games for younger kids. Others are a little more complicated and intended for slightly older kids. Many of them are timeless classics, like Mouse Trap or Hungry Hungry Hippos. Others are newer hits like Exploding Kittens and What Do You Meme?
What Makes a Good Board Game Deal?
The one thing all the games on this list have in common is that they’re on sale for Black Friday. But what makes a good board game deal? It’s tough to pin down, because it all depends on the game. Unlike LEGO Black Friday deals, for instance, board games are published by a variety of different companies and available at various retailers.
I focus my attention on Amazon, because it has the most board game Black Friday deals, and prices there are easy to track. I checked all of the prices above on the Amazon price-tracking site Camelcamelcamel to make sure they’re good deals. Most of them are at their all-time low prices now, so you can feel free to purchase, knowing you’re getting a big discount. If you branch out to other games, or other retailers, you can also use the site to check against Amazon’s price history to get an idea of how good the deal is yourself.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Amazon is offering Magic: The Gathering Spider-Man Collector booster boxes (12-packs) for just $349.99 (originally $455.88), saving you over $100 for a chance to crack open some of the hottest Magic cards in awhile. The Spider-Man expansion isn’t the only set getting a price drop on Amazon either; Avatar: The Last Airbender and Tarkir: Dragonstorm sealed products are on sale, as well.
Spider-Man Collector Booster Box Discounted For Black Friday
While the MTG Spider-Man set wasn’t the most well-received in terms of mechanics and playability, collector booster packs like this offer a nice chance to open some expensive chase cards. These packs, which contain 15 cards just like a regular booster pack, may seem pricey, but compared to normal booster packs, they tend to come with with more foils, which are shiny, holographic versions of every card available in the set. They also often come with very sought-after alternate prints of existing cards and a higher chance for Rare or Mythic Rare cards.
For individual cards, I’d recommend checking out online card retailer TCGPlayer. From today until December 1, it’s running a Cyber Monday deal on everything it sells – for every purchase you make, you get 10% cashback in store credit, or 13% back if you’re a subscriber. So if you’re a long-time player looking for metagame staples, this is a good opportunity to get more than you were expecting to finish some decks.
More Magic: The Gathering Items On Sale
Be sure to have a look at our handy Magic: The Gathering gift guide for more deals and inspiration for that card player in your life. In it we cover everything from accessories, playmats, dice, sleeves, and so much more. And if you’re a big fan of the Final Fantasy expansion, Amazon’s Black Friday sale on playmats has some of the most iconic character mats at discounted prices as well.
Well Black Friday is officially underway despite it starting over a week ago across the internet, but not every deal is what it seems. Mega Venusaur ex is getting it’s own Premium Collection because it’s the best start Pokémon (fight me), and it’s available on Amazon right now, but hold that thought.
Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection Box
The problem is it’s $80 price tag, just yesterday it was $63.75 down from $79.99, now it’s down from $94.90. In a period of time when we’re forced to buy sealed product for more than MSRP (In this case, $39.99), it’s my job to make sure you’re paying a little premium as possible.
TCGPlayer also has listings available for Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection starting from $61.59. They’re also having a Cyber Weekend event that gives buyers 10% cashback as account credit on any purchase.
If you’re a subscriber, this bumps up to 13% on-top of your existing subscriber cashback for a total of 16% cashback between now and the end of Cyber Monday. That means you’ll get from $6.15 to $9.85 cashback credit just for buying this collection at the best price currently. Win-win, right?
Inside the Mega Venusaur ex Premium Collection is:
Mega Venusaur ex is actually pretty playable when combined with Meganium from Mega Evolutions (There’s an awesome looking Stamped promo version too), with it’s ability allowing it to transfer energy between Pokémon combined with Meganium’s ability that doubles Grass energy in play. That means Mega Venusaurs Jungle Dump attack, costing four grass energy, can be set up and used in one turn if you play this strategy right. That’s 240 damage set up instantly, and is frankly mad.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of “Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior”. Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
That’s not all, though, as the Shadow of the Erdtree edition for PS5, usually listed with a huge $79.99 price tag, has dropped back to its lowest price yet of $39.99. Tarnished, if you’ve yet to become Elden Lord, now is the best time to do it.
Elden Ring Black Friday Deals
Elden Ring won Game of the Year back in 2022 – and earned a glowing 10/10 IGN review, to boot. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion also earned a 10/10 review score from IGN. Needless to say, they’re both absolutely stellar picks that you’re sure to have a blast immersing yourself in.
If you’re craving even more after playing the main game – and its expansion, if you opt for that edition – FromSoft’s co-op multiplayer outing, Elden Ring Nightreign, is also on sale right now during Black Friday. It’s currently marked down to $34.99 at Amazon. So, if you want, you could set yourself up with hours and hours of Elden Ring fun over the holidays.
For those looking to add even more video games to their library while the Black Friday sale is still going on, there’s an abundance of discounts to look through. We’ve broken down some of the best gaming deals available right now from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo so you can stock up on the best offers from your favorite platforms. And if you’re curious to see some of the best gaming deals overall, check out our breakdown of 30 Black Friday gaming deals that are worth your time and money.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Amazon has dropped its new LEGO deals for Black Friday, which includes the intricately-designed 2,651-piece Pac-Man Arcade set, currently down to $188.99 (30% off), its lowest price ever according to camelcamelcamel. If you’ve had your eye on other sets, make sure to check out other retailers like Target or go directly LEGO to see its specific Black Friday deals.
LEGO Icons Pac-Man Arcade On Sale For Black Friday
Licensed LEGO gaming builds are plentiful these days, and the more than 12-inch high, 10-inch wide Pac-Man Arcade set is one of the most detailed and impressive we’ve ever assembled, and filled with a ton of Easter eggs. By turning the crank on the side, the Pac-Man and Ghosts on the screen will actually move, and the figures on top will rotate. It even has a light-up coin slot – an awesome detail that recreates that old-school arcade feel.
More LEGO Black Friday Deals at Amazon
Amazon’s LEGO Black Friday sale also has a few other great licensed sets, like the Star Wars Battle Droid buildable figure and the Disney Cruella De Vil car. And there’s a tidy 30% discount on a LEGO build of NASA’s Mars Perseverence rover.
LEGO Sets Retiring Soon That Are On Sale
Amazon also is also discounting a handful of LEGO sets that are retiring soon, so now’s the perfect time to get in on those. I may finally pull the trigger on the LEGO Star Wars Droideka, myself.
Trading card game players rejoice; TCGplayer is having a nice Black Friday promotion. From November 28 at 9 AM ET to December 1 at 11 PM ET, you can get 10% cash back in store credits on all purchases.
This includes both single cards and sealed products. Plus, if you’re a TCGplayer subscriber, you’ll get 13% or more back (12% base plus 1-3% monthly loyalty bonus). That’s pretty great, all things considered.
With Riot and UVS Games’ Riftbound League of Legends TCG fresh on the Western market after just launching a few of weeks ago, taking advantage of this promotion is a great way to pick up singles and build your decks with all upside incentives.
Sealed Riftbound product has been fairly hard to come by for consumers, but for those of you lucky enough to get your hands on cards and follow the metagame, we’ve picked out 10 cards you should have on your radar.
And with Riftbound’s second set, Spiritforged, scheduled for English release in February of 2026, there’s ample time to pick up the cards you need for your deck and get the most out of them.
Read on for detailed breakdowns of our picks, listed from least expensive to most expensive.
I wanted to focus on metagame staples some players might not have on their radar, as well as some cheaper alternatives mixed with high-end late-game bombs.
Stacked Deck
One of the few draw spells in the game so far, this is an easy three-of in any Chaos (purple) deck. It’s single Energy cost without having to recycle Runes is an extremely valuable rate both on turn one and in the late game.
It’s going for around $5-$6, so as an uncommon it’s a bit pricey.
Tasty Faefolk
Tasty Faefolk sees play in most Calm (green) decks. It’s a great late-game finisher on a budget, currently sitting at around $7.
I might not play three of these due to its high cost, but it depends on the deck it’s slotted in.
Darius Trifarian
Darius is a considerably good mid-game drop in Fury (red) decks. Midrange strategies like Sett the Boss will often play a copy or two, and you’ll likely see him taking up space in the top-tier Kai’sa, Daughter of the Void decks as well.
At $10, it’s reasonably priced for a powerful effect.
Falling Star
Speaking of Kai’sa, Falling Star is another card this deck typically considers including three copies of.
The two Power, two Energy cost disrupts your tempo a bit, but it can be an extremely efficient boardwipe in a pinch. I’d also consider playing this in any other red deck like Jinx, Loose Cannon, especially at the reasonably-priced $13.
Baited Hook
Veteran Magic: The Gathering players will recognize this as Riftbound’s answer to Birthing Pod. It’s a great combo card that pairs nicely with cards like Machine Evangel.
In go-wide strategies like Viktor, Herald of the Arcane, Baited Hook can be a great finisher if you’re able to stomach the $37 price tag.
Master Yi
One of the strongest Legends in the game so far, Master Yi, Wuju Bladesman’s $38 cost is due to both his popularity and scarcity.
You can only get him in the Proving Grounds box (as well as three other exclusive Legends), and getting your hands on that is currently a bit of a chore. But if you’re looking to quickly build the second-best meta deck, singles are readily available.
Thousand-Tailed Watcher
One of the best cards in the game as a whole, every Mind (blue) deck will consider auto-including three of these, even with its high cost.
Thousand-Tailed Watcher is incredible late game finisher to score your last points, and strategizing your Battlefields and units in conjunction with it will mean the difference between victory and defeat. Because of this, it’s currently sitting at around $40.
Dazzling Aurora
One of the only cards in Riftbound Origins I would consider borderline unfair and actually broken, Dazzling Gleam is an incredibly powerful finisher in decks like Master Yi ramp.
Its nine Energy cost is worth considering, but spitting out massive Units like Deadbloom Predator for free will quickly win the game, especially since not many decks run much Gear removal.
Kai’sa Survivor
The end-all, tier-1 meta deck in Riftbound Origins. Her aggressive cost mixed with her extremely powerful effect ensures she sees play in most red decks.
If you’re running Kai’Sa, Daughter of the Void as your Legend, playing three Kai’Sa Survivor is a no-brainer. That is, of course, if you’re able to get your hands on three copies. She’s currently sitting around $73, so I wouldn’t blame you if you found some budget replacements.
Time Warp
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of extra turn effects in TCG’s, since they often give an unfair edge when used. Regardless, Riftbound’s Time Warp is an extremely powerful, high-cost effect that is the metagame’s current most expensive staple, sitting at around $86-$90.
Most blue decks run at least one of these, so it may be worth it to pick up a single copy to build up store credit.
More Riftbound Cards to Keep an Eye On
Naturally, these aren’t the only format staples or expensive cards Riftbound has to offer in its over 300-card Origins set.
There are dozens of much more expensive alternate versions of many Legends and Champions, and more metagame staples that will break the bank a bit.
But if you’re more interested in the collector value of these cards over their competitive use, we have a list of the 15 most expensive Riftbound cards you can buy.
We also have a handy buying guide if you’re new to Riftbound. While sealed product can be hard to find right now and price hikes are rampant, but knowing what’s available is always a good move when a new TCG launches.
TCGplayer Subscription
If you’re planning on snapping up quite a few Pokémon cards in the sale, this is a great time to become a TCGplayer subscriber. It costs $8.99 a month and gives users free delivers and 1% cashback regardless of the time of year.
Whilst this climbs to 3% after a years membership, subscriber will get a boosted 13% cashback over cyber weekend on top of their usual cashback. For longtime members, this could equate to 16% cashback, which is frankly insane.
Hollow Knight: Silksong developer Team Cherry has confirmed it’s working on DLC — but it doesn’t know when it will come out.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Team Cherry co-founders Ari Gibson and William Pellen said that while the developers do not plan to take “an excessive amount of time” building this new content for Silksong, “we still are pursuing the same development philosophy, which sometimes can expand our timeframe.”
It took seven years for Silksong to come out, so who knows when this mystery DLC will be released? But Team Cherry did tease it will feature the Steel Assassin, a character shown in a prior trailer but who has yet to show up in Silksong itself.
Here’s the relevant exchange with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier:
Do you want to do a mix of smaller updates like Lifeblood, or are you thinking bigger stuff like Godmaster and Grimm Troupe? Is there a cadence you have in mind?
Gibson: In simple terms yes, we’d be thinking about different things arriving at different scales. That might mean larger things like Godmaster. Certainly, we’ve noticed that people would like an expansion in that way, being able to enter pantheon spaces and refight bosses. And there is already a huge number of them.
Pellen: We were talking about the next project in general. We’re not thinking about the size. We just started making new stuff and working on bits and pieces. We’re still in this world, thinking about stuff to present to people.
Gibson: It is interesting working out how you expand an already huge game, to make sure you don’t completely overwhelm new players, because obviously new players will be experiencing the new stuff, very naturally integrated. It’ll just seem like the base experience. Some of that might mean finding ways to hide away the access, because otherwise potentially by the end of the our expansions and developments it would just be gargantuan.
If you’re hunting for the best offers this week, we’re actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
30 years ago, LEGO made its tentative first step beyond physical toys with the launch of Fun to Build, a Japanese-only game for the largely forgotten Sega Pico console. Three decades later, the mighty LEGO brand’s video game ambitions are now a diverse empire all of its own, a set of digital experiences designed to cater to diverse and tastes.
And for good reason — because as anyone who follows video games knows, the industry’s growth has also come alongside massive change, including an ongoing shift in how players access and own games — and a generational difference in why they’re so important.
For many, the idea of a LEGO video game is something still synonymous with the prolific output of TT Games, the British development studio behind dozens of licensed titles featuring blockbuster franchises like Star Wars, Batman, and Harry Potter. But the LEGO brand now adorns numerous other experiences from other established creators, such as the recent Annapurna-published LEGO Voyagers, or the Nintendo-like LEGO Party. And then there’s LEGO Fortnite — but more on that in a moment.
Speaking to the bosses of LEGO’s sprawling gaming portfolio, the company’s new SVP of LEGO Game, Fredrik Löving, and its veteran Head of Product, Kari Vinther Nielsen, its clear the company knows the world of video games has already changed — and will continue to do so, as a younger generation raised on the likes of Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite — LEGO’s key audience demographic — seeks connected social experiences on a wider range of platforms. At the same time, however, the brand knows it must still cater to more traditional gamers as well.
“Really understanding today’s kids is just always the most important thing,” Löving says. “There’s been a big shift in gaming and we all know it, we have all seen it. Games mean something different for the generation growing up today than it did for me. When I grew up on my Amiga 500, I was escaping into a world, I was escaping into a screen and I was playing these games with a very set objective.
“The primary objective today for kids growing up is to find an activity to do in a social space together with their friends. Secondarily, it’s whatever the activity actually is around it.” It’s an observation that rings especially true following the huge spike in players this summer for games such as Grow a Garden and Steal the Brainrot, experiences that helped smash engagement records on Roblox — a social gaming platform that LEGO has so far steered clear of.
“The gamers are very fundamentally different,” Löving continues. So, where does that leave LEGO?
“I was very lucky to work on LEGO Worlds,” Nielsen recalls, a LEGO-y sandbox game that let players build intricate models using digital blocks. While successful enough, it was a product of its time — and despite the LEGO branding, it never seemed to trouble the already-dominant Minecraft, the game it was frequently most compared to. Still, its ambitions were clear. “That for me was a testament of what the physical brick was in a digital space,” Nielsen continues. “We had fans creating models, creating worlds, creating stories, and I think that’s really the power of digital play where you can create and share in different ways versus what you can in the physical world.
After working at LEGO for over a decade, Nielsen said the conversations she had working on the idea for Worlds remain “the same stories and the same things we talk about” today. “We need to mix IPs, we need to figure out what’s the digital version of the physical expression. What’s the real true game version of that? I don’t think the conversations have changed a lot,” she continued. “It’s more about actually adapting to how kids play today and being open-minded about how you diversify play, how you become inclusive so that you make the right type of play for kids in the world they live in. I think that’s where we’ve moved a lot through the last couple of years actually.
“Kids really use video games as a way to stay social and a place where can they meet up with their friends,” Nielsen continues, echoing Löving’s earlier words. “Of course we want to show up in safe and positive ways, but I think that just speaks to the type of games and the type of play we really need to serve as the LEGO brand. It’s not about only having one version that fits for gamers, it’s about having a diverse portfolio, for different play needs and different moments.”
It’s an approach that LEGO has demonstrated over the past few months, launching the Mario Party-esque LEGO Party to foster cross-generational multiplayer, the same month as indie puzzle platformer LEGO Voyagers. “LEGO Party, that’s really where I want to play with my friends or with my family,” Nielsen notes. “LEGO Voyagers meanwhile, was a test of my relationship, I’m not going to lie. There was a little bit of ‘go away, this is me playing now.'”
And then there’s LEGO Fortnite, which continues to evolve week by week. Its hard to gauge the current level of its overall success versus expectations, especially when comparing it to something like Grow a Garden’s viral popularity. But its most substantial offering, LEGO Fortnite Odyssey, remains an evergreen hit and will soon receive its next big update (which fans expect will add characters from the hugely popular Ninjago franchise). Role-playing sim option LEGO Brick Life, meanwhile, enjoys a smaller audience, though is currently hosting a big The Simpsons takeover. And a core attraction for LEGO here remains the ability for players to build and make their own mini-games — something which should only become easier to do and more advanced in potential over time.
“My daughter loves the universe, the characters, the stories, the narrative,” Nielsen says of LEGO Fortnite’s modes. “We’re starting to really grow and expand the opportunity for creators to make their favorite LEGO game, to tell their stories through gaming. It’s still early days actually in that space,” she continues. “It’s not that we haven’t had digital building or digital creation in our portfolio for the past 30 years, but the world around it has changed, as has the platforms and the pace of creation. When Fred joined, we had this sort of [joke] like, ‘You’ve been used to making a game and it takes five years, I can do what you do and do that in four hours instead.'”
While that may not be true — yet — of something that looks as polished as TT Games’ upcoming LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, some of LEGO’s earlier output could certainly be recreated in Fortnite today, such as LEGO Island, the brand’s second video game (and its first real digital hit). “It’s just a different reality of making experiences and testing new things and trying them out in a way faster engine with the right partner, with the right creators,” Nielsen says.
“And going back to what I mentioned around really understanding gamers of today,” Löving adds. “Co-creation, agency, all the things that you just mentioned. They are becoming very quickly, if not already, table stakes for a lot of experiences out there, especially the big platforms.”
All of that said, LEGO’s more traditional gaming experiences are also not fully going away — as next year’s arival of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight proves. It was one of this year’s biggest and best-received gaming reveals, and was recently shown to a hugely positive reception during Gamescom 2025. For LEGO, experiences like it is set to provide also remain a cruical part of its brand offering.
“I passed down Star Wars to my son through a Lego game, Skywalker saga,” Löving said. “That is a lot for a dad, to actually have that experience together with your son — not just playing together but passing down a fandom, enabled through the fact that it’s a LEGO game. Even before I joined the company, I was just inspired to see, ‘how do we even dial that up? How can we do that and really make it intergenerational play?'”
“Our brand stands for a lot of things and I think in some moments you’re really diving in and you’re immersing yourself in like a six-hour session,” Nielsen affirms. “I play legacy board games, I know it’s going to take a long time. I’m invested, and it’s even better if I can actually play along or couch co-op with some of my friends or family members. That’s fantastic and I think that’s what TT Games does so well.”
As LEGO enters its fourth decade in the digital space, the company clearly has ambitions that range beyond simple, static plastic. Ever since it dipped its toe into the world of simple robotics with MindStorms, through to its much more recently interactivitiy melded into LEGO Super Mario bricks, its clear the company is keen to experiment with what’s possible with play. LEGO Dimensions, the brand’s experiment in the toys-to-life category, was another example of that — and with its focus on IP mashups and adventure, could be seen as a precursor to LEGO Fortnite today.
At the end of the day, though, Nielsen says it’s all about finding the right kind of play for the right audience. “Sometimes there’s a time for a game and then you can almost take that game and bring it into the now — or to the future with different flavors and twists,” she says. “It’s no different than what is our LEGO version of Darth Vader or Batman. I think there’s something generational to it.”
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
