LEGO fans have plenty to look forward to throughout 2026, from Spider-Man 3-themed LEGO models to new Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter content. On the gaming front, LEGO is looking to continue collaborating with its partner Nintendo for some new sets. One of these sets will supposedly focus on the iconic video game villain Ganandorf, with a massive 1,000+ piece set supposedly set to translate his Ocarina of Time design to LEGO form. Then, there’s a new Mario Kart set that is reportedly in the works, and it is said to see the Plumber’s beloved brother Luigi getting a dedicated package that brings the character, his kart, and a matching accessory to players’ collections. Yet as great as all this may be, I was hoping for a bit more to be done with Animal Crossing.
It may sound a bit greedy after being showered in LEGO Animal Crossing sets throughout 2025, but what can I say? I love the franchise, and it translates so well to LEGO form that sets could keep releasing for years before the well runs dry. As far as 2026 is concerned, all that’s confirmed is a single polybag, so it’s hard not to get a bit jealous of something like the ambitious Ganandorf set. Getting something comparable to the minifigure of Julian and matching painting set will be cute and all, but it should only be the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps LEGO will surprise us with some full sets, but with no rumors about them just yet, I’m prepared to be disappointed. As for what sets SHOULD happen, I have no shortage of ideas.
LEGO Animal Crossing Sets That Still Need to Happen
Thus far, there have been 15 proper LEGO Animal Crossing sets, which are:
- Julian’s Birthday Party (Julian with hat)
- Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities (Bunnie)
- Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour (Kapp’n and Marshall)
- Isabelle’s House Visit (Isabelle and Fauna)
- Nook’s Cranny and Rosie’s House (Tom Nook and Rosie)
- Maple’s Pumpkin Garden (Maple)
- Fly With Dodo Airlines (Wilbur and Tangy)
- K.K’s Concert at the Plaza (K.K. Slider, Isabelle with red outfit, and Audie)
- Stargazing With Celeste (Celeste)
- Leif’s Caravan and Garden Shop (Leif and Poppy)
- Able Sisters Clothing Shop (Mabel and Sasha)
- Blather’s Museum Collection (Blathers and Lily)
- Creative Houses: Seasons of Fun (Stitches, Fuschia, and Fang)
- Goldie’s Cozy House (Goldie)
- Julian’s Beach Painting (Julian)
Don’t get me wrong, this is a solid lineup, and it will be some time before LEGO Zelda sets catch up to Animal Crossing in terms of quantity. Still, the Animal Crossing franchise is full of memorable characters and locales that still deserve to be represented via a set. One NPC that immediately jumps out to me is Pascal, the adorable scallop-collecting otter. I fondly remember logging on every day to find him a scallop for the first month after the diving update, desperately trying to gather DIYs. His sense of humor stuck with me, as did his charming animations, and I’d argue he’s one of the best candidates for a set. Perhaps it could include the island pier and some fake water, while the accompanying Villager could be one of the sought-after Octopus characters like Zucker or Marina.
Apart from a Pascal set, I’d love to assemble Brewster’s cafe, which could be full of cute decor and an energetic, coffee-loving Villager like Dom. Flick and CJ is a dynamic duo that the Animal Crossing community adores, so why not have a huge set combining the fishing and bug-catching activities? A holdable net and rod could be part of the set alongside some fish and bugs as decor. Yet another long overdue set would star Redd, the sneaky salesman known for his fake paintings and (occasionally) genuine decorations. Having Redd and his boat alongside a smart-looking Villager trying to see through his lies — maybe Raymond, the New Horizons newcomer that spawned a black market — could make for an attractive package. Lastly, there’s perhaps the most iconic NPC still needing a LEGO set: Gulliver. It could focus on digging, with a shovel accessory and beach flooring, while Gullivarrr would make a worthy second minifigure.
These five ideas would lead to similar-sized sets to what exists now, but I’d also love to see Nintendo shake it up a bit with its Animal Crossing builds. Something huge, on the scale of the Great Deku Tree, would be really cool as a collector’s item. As for what could work for a massive Animal Crossing set, what about a massive gyroidt like Lloid that players build up brick-by-brick? Even a gyroid-filled island build would be interesting, and a good change from the usual approach of a small-medium set with an NPC and possibly a Villager. Yes, LEGO’s Animal Crossing collab has been fairly thorough, but my favorite characters are still in need of a set, so I’m really hoping another wave comes to fruition.
Polybags Shouldn’t Be the End All Be All, But They Can Be a Boon For LEGO Animal Crossing
To be clear, LEGO polybags can be fun, quick builds that provide access to special mini-figures one might not have. My concerns with the 2026 polybag are that it’s the only “set” that’s seemingly planned for this year, but worse, that it could be a repeat of the Julian situation. Instead of the last Animal Crossing polybag bringing an entirely new Villager for players to collect, they simply got another version of Julian without the birthday hat and with a slightly different outfit on. This was huge wasted potential, and I’m concerned that the next polybag will be a similar case — a new prop and a reskinned, existing minifigure as opposed to something exclusive.
Realistically, with there literally being hundreds of Animal Crossing Villagers, it’s impossible for everybody to get a dedicated set. That’s where polybags could save the day, with LEGO and Nintendo expanding their partnership to release dozens of the most popular characters via polybags. So many characters would suit this style, such as my favorite Villager, the derpy penguin Roald. As a Jock, he could have a weight set to represent his personality, though characters could also have accessories that highlight their looks. A colorful pastel swingset could come with Judy, a gothic table and matching chairs could accompany Cherry, and something to represent all of Lucky’s many injuries are just a few of the potential polybag packages. Hopefully, at least one polybag like this is planned for this year instead of another re-used design, but I’m not holding my breath.
Hopefully, LEGO and Nintendo keep the ball rolling with Animal Crossing in 2026 instead of tapering off with just a single polybag. The collaboration has certainly been a good one that produced some really adorable sets, but the beloved cozy game still has more to give. And even if full sets are going to be a thing of the past, releasing several — not one — polybags with unique mini-figures that haven’t been part of existing sets would be a great way to keep LEGO Animal Crossing fans like myself satisfied. While I can accept that we’ve been spoiled thus far, and it’s time for other properties like Zelda to shine in the LEGO spotlight now, there’s still a lot of room for new Animal Crossing releases down the road.
