A LEGO Pokémon Game Could Incorporate Top Features from a Popular Mod

Though the Pokémon franchise stands as the most successful entertainment brand in history, it’s astonishing that it hasn’t yet received a dedicated official LEGO set. That’s set to change soon. Just last month, The LEGO Group revealed a collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, announcing that they will start launching LEGO products based on the iconic franchise starting 2026. This partnership is expected to last several years, yet the specifics of the collaboration, apart from a teased LEGO Pikachu shown in a trailer, remain somewhat unclear.

With Pokémon finally getting its own lineup of LEGO merchandise, it opens up the possibility for The LEGO Group and The Pokémon Company to collaborate with Nintendo on a LEGO Pokémon video game. It’s important to note that not every pop culture franchise that receives a LEGO set gets its own video game—look at Sonic the Hedgehog and Minecraft. However, the idea seems more feasible now. Should these companies decide to embark on creating a LEGO Pokémon game, they’d be wise to draw some inspiration from the popular fan mod, Cobblemon.

For those not in the know, Cobblemon is probably an unfamiliar term. But if you’ve been following the Minecraft modding scene in recent years, you’ve likely heard about it. In simple terms, Cobblemon is an open-source Minecraft mod that brings the charming world of blocky Pokémon into Minecraft’s vast sandbox universe. It’s somewhat of a spiritual successor to the once-popular Pixelmon mod, which was unfortunately taken down by The Pokémon Company in 2017. Despite being relatively new and still in development, Cobblemon is packed with features.

This mod boasts over 700 catchable Pokémon, with gameplay reminiscent of the mainline Pokémon games. Players can engage their Pokémon in battles against both wild Pokémon and those owned by other players, leveraging the Pokémon Showdown! engine for a familiar combat experience. Cobblemon even incorporates elements from Legends: Arceus, such as move relearning and optional evolution. Further enriching the Minecraft world, Cobblemon introduces new structures filled with treasure, enticing players to explore.

Cobblemon closely mirrors what a LEGO Pokémon-style game could be. Although unofficial, it captures the essence with its LEGO-like visuals perfect for Minecraft, along with incorporating familiar Pokémon capture and battle mechanics. Like LEGO, Cobblemon spurs creativity, allowing players to design custom Pokémon with data packs. Given that Minecraft’s vanilla version already exudes a LEGO vibe, Cobblemon transforms it into an ideal template for a LEGO Pokémon game.

However, the dream of a LEGO Pokémon video game faces one significant hurdle: Nintendo’s cautious approach to developing games using other companies’ properties. This reluctance likely explains the absence of LEGO video game adaptations for other Nintendo hits like Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing—even those which have received LEGO sets. Despite this, the overwhelming popularity of both brands suggests that a LEGO Pokémon game would likely be a massive hit. Hopefully, The LEGO Group and Nintendo will eventually come together to make it happen.