- Lego revealed two new sets at LegoCon 2022 that reflect older fan favorites.
- Lion Knights' Castle and Galaxy Explorer draw inspiration from its 1970s and 1980s models.
- The world's largest toymaker is building a US factory to better serve one of its biggest markets.
Danish toy company Lego unveiled a revamp of its classic castle and Galaxy Explorer spaceship sets at LegoCon 2022 to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
The Lion Knights' Castle takes inspiration from the 1970s Yellow and Black Knight's castles, with some new design cues for a unique offering.
"We looked at a lot of old Lego castles and all agreed that one of the coolest ones was the Black Knight's Castle and borrowed a lot of inspiration from that," a designer said on Saturday at LegoCon 2022.
The Lion Knight's Castle features a water wheel, balconies, lookout towers, and a drawbridge. The set also includes stables, a dungeon with fun throwback references to old Lego sets – and even a character playing with the Yellow Castle inside.
The set includes a host of cool features such as a "Lady of the Castle" who comes with a shield, helmet and horse to lead her troops wherever she decides.
Lego's latest model, made up of 4,500 bricks, resembles its earlier castle sets in the way that the walls are placed and how it all fits together.
It includes a twist on the 1980s Forestmen's River Fortress design with a tree and secret door that opens up to a hidden cave where forestmen characters can go to sneak into the castle.
One of the designers said they drew upon Lego fan favorites and then made them bigger, even taking inspiration from real castles. The castle goes on sale in August for $399.
The world's largest toy maker also revealed its recreation of the classic Galaxy Explorer spaceship model, which has 1,246 bricks and astronaut minifigures. The new set also goes on sale in August for $99.
The spaceship, originally released in 1979, comes with beds, storage compartments, a cockpit and tools for the four astronauts to use as well as a rover that can be deployed using a ramp.
Lego Group last week announced plans to build a $1 billion US factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia, to better serve one of its biggest markets.
The new factory will create around 1,800 jobs, in addition to the 2,600 people it already employs in the US, with construction of the site expected to be completed by 2025.