‘Non-active LEGO IP’ we want to see in BrickLink Series 11

The guidelines for Series 11 of the BrickLink Designer Program allow ‘Non-active LEGO IP’, leading us to wonder what the community will redesign.

One of the biggest developments for Series 11 of the BrickLink Designer Program is that non-active LEGO IP is now allowed in submissions. That won’t include the likes of NINJAGO, but themes that aren’t currently on shelves may be acceptable. Think Monster Fighters, Adventurers, Pharaoh’s Quest, Galaxy Squad and similar product lines from years gone by. As long as the property is owned by the LEGO Group, it should be fine to use.

While several previous submissions in prior BrickLink Designer Program rounds have alluded to certain past themes, it’s good to know that fans can now be explicit in their reference and recreation of classic sets. You’ll just have to work around the limitations that come from a palette of current pieces and minifigure prints.

The submission window for Series 11 opens on April 20 and will run until May 4, giving you just over three weeks to put together your builds based on the submission guidelines. We covered the findings from the webinar in our previous report, but the knowledge that LEGO IP is allowed (beyond Castle and Classic Space) now opens the door to the return of several themes.

Here are some themes that we’d consider non-active, which we’d love to see the community attempt to bring back. There’s no guarantee that a model based on a non-active LEGO IP would be selected as a finalist, but it is at least possible now.

Adventurers

LEGO Adventurers has yet to properly continue in the modern era of the company, though several characters have been brought back across multiple themes. We’d still consider LEGO Adventurers to be non-active and therefore eligible for Series 11 submissions.

The adventurous nature of this classic theme lends itself to many interesting play features and mechanisms, such as the opening tomb from Series 5’s Adventure in Transylvania. Recreating the characters beyond those who have recently returned may be challenging. Otherwise, everything in this theme’s favour ahead of Series 11, and it would do well with a limited-edition comeback.

Space Police

Space Police started in the early days of Classic Space in 1989 and has returned a few times in the portfolio. The most recent appearance was in 2021’s Series 21 via a single minifigure, but a full remake came back in 2009.

While it’s certainly not the highest-priority theme to bring back, there’s something about the action-packed nature of police and a sci-fi setting that pairs well. The aesthetic of the sets would also do well with an adult-aimed model in something as targeted as the BrickLink Designer Program.

Atlantis

Atlantis is another fan-favourite theme from the more recent eras of LEGO history. The range lasted from 2010 to 2011 and briefly crossed over with Power Miners. Underwater action and exploration have been depicted in NINJAGO since then, but the classic style of Atlantis is something that deserves a BrickLink Designer Program remake.

In fact, it’s already been remade in a proposal for Series 9 by penguin.bobo, which was ultimately rejected. It’s a good proof of concept for the theme’s return, though, showcasing what is possible with a bigger budget and an older audience.

Exo-Force

A full return to Exo-Force in the official LEGO portfolio is unlikely, considering the monopoly NINJAGO has on mech models currently. The range was referenced in great capacity in a retired LEGO City roller coaster set, but this is another theme we’d consider currently non-active.

With brick-built enemy robot figures and modernised LEGO mechs in the style of the original Exo-Force vehicles, this line is ready for a more comprehensive tribute in the BrickLink Designer Program. It would need quite a few stickers, and therefore a higher piece count, though.

Agents

The original 2009 line of LEGO Agents filled a niche of the portfolio that has not been covered in quite some time – spies and secret agents. The theme came with some iconic sets, one of which was even used in an early LEGO movie.

A recreation of at least one of these in Series 11 would be good to see, though whether LEGO Agents is as nostalgic as other non-active LEGO IP may limit its chances of being selected as a finalist. It would offer something substantially different from every other finalist so far, though.

Power Miners

After the inclusion of Atlantis, we couldn’t leave out Power Miners from 2009 and 2010. This theme gave enthusiasts an array of unique vehicles with an assortment of features, from sweeping crystals into a tray to multiple moving parts while the vehicles roll along through the caves.

It remains one of the most iconic themes in the LEGO Group’s recent history, with many pieces from its debut still in use to this day. The BrickLink Designer Program is well-suited to bringing back this theme in some form, but whether the community will choose to depict it in submissions has yet to be seen.

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