Category Archives: News

Stay current on the latest news and information about LEGO, from sales & deals to new set announcements. We also cover LEGO events and conventions all over the world.

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for August 4, 2019 [News]

In addition to the amazing LEGO models created by builders all over the world, The Brothers Brick brings you the best of LEGO news and reviews. This is our weekly Brick Report for the first week of August 2019.

We take a closer look at the new LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader with our review. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS, FEATURES AND REVIEWS: This week we saw over 65 new sets released, got instructions for the coveted SDCC Exclusives, reviewed the LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader and said goodbye to a beloved AFOL artist. Meanwhile, our mind-flaying Stranger Things contest continues gathering strength and entries.

LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series 19 revealed – Official photos are now available for the upcoming Series 19 Minifigures. Which ones will you be getting?
Public tickets for BrickCon 2019 LEGO Fan Exhibition in Seattle on sale now – Tickets for BrickCon 2019 in Seattle are now on sale. Will we see you there?
LEGO Hidden Side now available with more than 65 other new LEGO sets and gear – We have your guide to all the new LEGO sets now available for August, including the new Hidden Side theme, Architecture, City, Friends, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, Technic, Ninjago and even some cool shiny backpacks.
Instructions for LEGO San Diego Comic Con 2019 Exclusives now available – Build instructions for the San Diego Comic Con 2019 LEGO Exclusives featuring Batman, Star Wars and Captain Marvel.
In memory of Ingmar Spijkhoven – In memory of legendary LEGO truck builder Ingmar Spijkhoven.
VESTIGE – A LEGO space exploration short film documentary [Feature] – A rare insight into a campaign that was pitched to LEGO by Brian Ellis and team. Watch the video and behind the scenes production and read our interview to find out more.
A little dirt never hurt: LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader [Review] – The latest addition to the LEGO Technic lineup brings Powered Up motors, Control+ smart app and tons of fun indoors and outdoors.
TBB’s Stranger Things building contest is flipping things upside down – Only one and a half weeks left to enter our Stranger Things contest. Read about all the details in the article.

See more LEGO news from around the web

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Public tickets for BrickCon 2019 LEGO Fan Exhibition in Seattle on sale now [News]

Every year the best LEGO builders in the Pacific Northwest gather for BrickCon in Seattle to show off some of their amazing creations. BrickCon is the country’s longest-running LEGO fan convention. The event is open to the public the weekend of October 5th and 6th at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, and tickets just went on sale. Last year tickets nearly sold out, so if you plan on going we recommend getting yours well ahead of time.

Adult fans who wish to get the all-access treatment can sign up for the full four-day experience, which includes the ability to display their own custom LEGO models, along with workshops, prizes, games, drafts, access to the friends-and-family night, and more. Signups for the full adult fan convention, which runs Oct. 3-6, are available now as well. Tickets for the full event are $75 if purchased before Sept. 18. After that, you’ll need to pay the late registration price of $100 or sign up at the door if any space is available (though that will cost even more).

We hope to see you in person in October for BrickCon 2019!

The Brothers Brick is an official sponsor of BrickCon.

LEGO Collectible Minifigure Series 19 revealed [News]

The 19th series of LEGO Collectible Minifigures has been revealed, thanks to German retailer jb-spielwaren. Get ready for adventures in space, in the bathroom, and also online. The new 16 minifigures bring a ton of new accessories, including a rubber duck in green and a gamepad tile. The series goes on sale later this month. Check out the gallery in our post and let us know which character is your number one pick.

Click here to check out all the minifigures…

A little dirt never hurt: LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader [Review]

Here is a simple truth: these days LEGO remains one of those few common activities that give you a rest from a smartphone. For me and for many of our readers, building with LEGO has always been a pastime that requires no downloads, installing or updates; you open a box and the play begins. Obviously, winning over modern-day kids who love digital entertainment and touchscreens is a tough challenge for a toy manufacturer. They say if you can’t beat them, join them, but LEGO thinks differently: if you can’t beat them, build them into the play experience. Along comes LEGO Technic Powered Up — the first generation of LEGO Technic electric elements that bring smartphones and tablets into play. With a whole lot of sensors and features, the new smart hub and motors are among the most advanced LEGO pieces ever produced. LEGO Technic 42099 4×4 X-treme Off-Roader introduces the new play system. The set includes just 958 pieces, but the new expensive electric elements are to blame for the price tag of US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £199.99. It is available starting today, so we are building and testing the model in an attempt to discover the limits of the new Powered Up system and Control+ smart app.

Click here to see our impressions…

In memory of Ingmar Spijkhoven [News]

Our friends over at The LEGO Car Blog have shared sad news with us today. Legendary builder Ingmar Spijkhoven has lost his battle against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He is best known for building highly detailed trucks and has been featured here several times, the latest being an incredible 18-wheeler and trailer. His work has even been published in The Art of LEGO Scale Modeling.

ALS currently has no cure, with sufferers expected to live no more than five years from diagnosis. (Dr. Stephen Hawking was perhaps the most notable exception). You can learn how to help fight this debilitating disease through the ALS Foundation.

Igmar was an inspiration to many of us and will surely be missed.

LEGO Hidden Side now available with more than 65 other new LEGO sets and gear [News]

The brand new LEGO Hidden Side augmented reality product line is available starting today, as well as more than 50 new sets from Architecture, Harry Potter, City, Friends, Jurassic World, Technic and more. LEGO fans in the U.S. have had to wait patiently for this new wave of sets which has been available in Europe for a few months now.

LEGO is also offering two promotions including a reversible VIP tote bag and a LEGO Jurassic World polybag. If you combine this wave with the newly available LEGO Ideas Treehouse, Jurassic Park T-Rex, Creator Expert Harley-Davidson Motorcycle and Star Wars Droid Commander, there is an incredible amount of new LEGO sets just waiting to be built!

Click to see all the LEGO themes with new sets now available

Instructions for LEGO San Diego Comic Con 2019 Exclusives now available [News]

LEGO has released the build instructions for the 3 Sets that were released at San Diego Comic-Con. If you were not one of the lucky ones that got them at the event, here’s a great way to enjoy them if you’re a builder and would just want to enjoy these for display in your collection.

Click to reveal the download links

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 28, 2019 [News]

LEGO Masters is coming to the U.S. and looking for contestants. Have you got what it takes? Keep reading this week’s Brick Report for a closer look.

TBB NEWS, REVIEWS AND INSTRUCTIONS: This week was all about a treehouse with an announcement and a review. Plus, learn to make your own Golden Snitch!

LEGO reveals 21318 Ideas Treehouse, featuring 3,000 pieces and foliage for 2 seasons – Follow the changing of the seasons with the new LEGO Ideas Treehouse.
LEGO Ideas 21318 Treehouse unleashes your childhood dreams [Review] – We take an inside look at the largest LEGO Ideas set to date. Check out our hands-on review!
Build your very own Golden Snitch [Instructions] – Builder hachiroku24 shows us how to craft the elusive Golden Snitch!
TBB’s Stranger Things building contest is flipping things upside down – There are just two and a half weeks left to build your best Stranger Things creation for a chance to win an amazing prize. Read about all the details in the article.

Continue reading →

LEGO reveals 21318 Ideas Treehouse, featuring 3,000 pieces and foliage for 2 seasons [News]

Today LEGO is officially taking the wraps off the latest set originating from its crowd-sourcing platform, LEGO Ideas. 21318 Treehouse is the largest Ideas set yet, with a whopping 3,036 pieces. It stands more than 14 inches tall and features leaves in two colors to build either summer or fall versions. First announced last fall, the treehouse features three cabins and four minifigures. Be sure to check out our full, hands-on review of it that we published earlier today, and continue reading below to see all the official images and information.

Despite the enormous part count, the set will retail for US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99. It’s slated to be available in LEGO stores and the LEGO Shop Online tomorrow, July 24, though LEGO did accidentally sell the set briefly to very excited–and surprised–fans last week at San Diego Comic Con, before pulling it from shelves.

Click to see more of the LEGO Ideas Tree House

LEGO Ideas 21318 Treehouse unleashes your childhood dreams [Review]

LEGO’s purpose for the LEGO Ideas program is to encourage and crowdsource new concepts from the LEGO building community that typically might not be produced as mainstream designs from LEGO’s in-house design teams. LEGO Ideas 21318 Treehouse is the 26th entry that has been mass-produced to date and is the largest Ideas set ever released, coming in at a whopping 3,036 elements. Based on the other sets that have been released this year so far, it will be the fourth-largest set for 2019. With such a high piece count and price, at US $199.99 | CAN $269.99 | UK £179.99, LEGO fans might think twice before deciding if this is something that they’re going to fit into their budget and collection, so we’ve got an in-depth review of the set to help you decide.

This original idea was conceived by adult fan of LEGO Kevin Feeser and then designed as a LEGO set by LEGO Designer César Soares. With many other LEGO Ideas finalists are tied to some kind of intellectual property like a nostalgic movie, the concept here is a rare original idea. Let’s dive in and evaluate if it makes the cut in its final form.

Check out our hands-on review of the new LEGO Ideas 21318 Treehouse

TBB Weekly Brick Report: LEGO news roundup for July 21, 2019 [News]

Toys ‘R’ Us returns to the U.S. in time for the 2019 holiday season. Keep reading our Brick Report to get all the details.

TBB NEWS AND REVIEWS: This week we learned that you can’t keep a good giraffe down, watched the making of a life-size LEGO model of Iron Man, and reviewed two sets: a Technic Car Transporter and Jurassic World T. Rex vs Dino-Mech Battle. Meanwhile, our mind flaying Stranger Things contest continues gathering strength and entries.

TBB’s Stranger Things building contest is flipping things upside down – Build your best Stranger Things creation and you could win big. Read about all the details in the article.
Toys ‘R’ Us is coming back to the US – The iconic toy store will be returning to select locations in late 2019, just in time for the holidays.
Life-size LEGO Iron Man model created for San Diego Comic-Con – San Diego Comic Con was the big news this weekend and we got a look at the making of an Iron Man model using 35,119 bricks.
LEGO Technic 42098 Car Transporter – We take a closer look at the upcoming 3 ft. long Technic Car Transporter [Review].
LEGO set 75938 Jurassic World T. Rex vs Dino-Mech Battle [Review] – We discover the latest Jurassic World set based on the LEGO TV series Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar .

OTHER NEWS: There were quite a few other interesting LEGO news articles from around the web this week. Here are the best of the rest:

LEGO-Building Reality Competition LEGO Masters Ordered at Fox, TV Line – Already a hit in the UK and Australia, reality TV show LEGO Masters is coming to the US and they are looking for contestants.
A LEGO designer talks about designing spaceships and collaborating with NASA, The Verge – Designer Simon Kent launches into a discussion of his work on the LEGO Space theme.
LEGO SDCC Selfie Boxes for Minifigs Includes Star Wars, Batman, More, SuperHeroHype – Get a close up look at a series of special LEGO and artist built models at the LEGO Booth at San Diego Comic Con.
LEGO DC: BATMAN: Family Matters Enjoys Blocky World Premier at SDCC 2019, SyFy – The latest digital/DVD LEGO BATMAN feature premiers to excite fans.

Toys ‘R’ Us to return to the U.S.

More than a year has passed since the bankruptcy of Toys “R” Us, and the subsequent closure of its 700 U.S. stores. The toy retailer was bought by Tru Kids Brands who, in a recent Toys ‘R’ Us press release, announced they would be bringing the store back to the U.S. in time for the 2019 holiday season. Tru Kids is partnering up with b8ta to bring shoppers “…a new store experience that will deliver the hottest toy products and brands, carefully curated and showcased in highly immersive smaller-format spaces.” An image from the press release provides a concept of what the new storefront may look like. The first two Toys “R” Us stores will open in The Galleria, a Simon Mall in Houston, Texas and the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey.