A LEGO Fortnite will soon be (sort of) possible

Fans of the online phenomenon Fortnite may find an upcoming LEGO set of particular interest.

While the LEGO Group still loves its broader play themes, it’s also happy to release a few one-offs and oddities at the moment. Recent examples include sets like 40469 Tuk Tuk and 40518 High-Speed Train; despite being part of the Creator theme, they’re very much marching to the beat of their own drum.

40644 Pinata (a new release for 2023) is the latest example of this concept. The set offers a colourful tribute to a hallmark of Mexican culture, and – if early product shots are to be believed – it can actually break apart to dispense its sweet innards.

While it doesn’t particularly connect to any existing LEGO theme, that might ultimately work in its favour. That’s because it shares some design traits with Fortnite – the massively popular online video game.

Fortnite offers a few distinct game modes, although its last-man-standing Battle Royale mode is certainly its most popular. It’s renowned for an eccentric sense of humour and its numerous pop-culture collaborations, with the likes of John Wick, Street Fighter and Rick and Morty having a presence in the game over the years.

One of the game’s most iconic elements (at least in its early days) is the Loot Llama – pinata-esque item caches randomly distributed around the map during gameplay. Breaking them open provides players with additional ammunition, crafting materials and other goodies, offering a tactical advantage in the process.

As such, there may be some appeal in 40644 Pinata to Fortnite fans – particularly when we consider that a number of pop culture icons have appeared in both LEGO form and Fortnite form. Examples include Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Doctor Strange, Batman, the Ghostbusters and even Stranger Things’ Demogorgon. As such, anyone who’s been collecting LEGO sets over the last few years is already on the right track to an off-brand LEGO Fortnite scene.

40644 Pinata may also be appealing as while there has long been suggestions of a LEGO/Fortnite collaboration, these have (so far) failed to bear fruit. The LEGO Group’s owners have invested $1 billion in Epic Games – the developer of Fortnite – which pointed to some kind of crossover between the two’s business activities. However, nothing has really materialised in the following months, and we’ve had no word of a new LEGO Fortnite project since then.

As such, any fans of LEGO and Fortnite may need to get creative – and 40644 Pinata is a solid starting point. While we don’t yet have a price or release date for 40644 Pinata, we expect it to appear at LEGO.com at the start of 2023. 

(Header image: Epic Games)

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