New LEGO Ideas sets

LEGO has launched a new building competition on LEGO Ideas, where fans must design their own Pokémon card made of LEGO bricks. The winning design of the Pokémon Trading Card Game Challenge will be released as an official LEGO set.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Challenge

This challenge revolves around building a so-called ‘Full Art’ Pokémon Trading Card, constructed entirely from LEGO bricks. The design must consist of a card with a frame, in which your chosen Pokémon takes center stage. You are given a lot of creative freedom in this regard: for example, you may have your Pokémon ‘break out’ of the frame or be subtly incorporated into the background.

However, there are clear guidelines. For instance, your design must consist of a minimum of 400 and a maximum of 2,500 bricks, and you may only use one Pokémon. Minifigures are not allowed, and the design must be completely original. Recreating existing cards from the Pokémon Trading Card Game is therefore not permitted. Additionally, the Pokémon's face must be clearly visible in the top half of the card. LEGO has also provided specific dimensions for the frame so that all entries fit within the same parameters. The frame must be 30 cm high (37 studs) and 21.5 cm wide (26 studs).

The selection is limited to a pre-compiled list of Pokémon. Think of well-known names such as Mewtwo, Gengar, Dragonite, and Lucario, but also less obvious choices such as Joltik, Tinkaton, and Wailord. Shiny or regional variants are not allowed unless explicitly included in the list.

Participation is possible using both physical LEGO bricks and digital tools such as Bricklink Studio. Entries must consist of multiple clear images of the model and comply with LEGO Ideas guidelines. The use of AI-generated images or text is not permitted. LEGO places full emphasis on original, fan-made creations. The submission period runs through May 6, 2026. This is followed by a judging phase in which LEGO selects a maximum of five designs for the voting round. This Fan Vote runs from May 28, 2026, through June 11, 2026. The final winner will not be announced until early 2027. By February 4, 2027, LEGO will announce which design will actually be turned into a real set. The winning design will not only be produced as an official LEGO set, but the designer will also receive:

• 1% of the net revenue of the set
  10 free copies of the final set
• Official recognition as a LEGO Ideas Fan Designer