The LEGO Group has been working with third-party game developers to create licensed video games for roughly 30 years, but the company is looking to change up this strategy. 

In an interview with the Financial Times earlier this week, CEO Niels Christiansen said that LEGO is creating an in-house game division that will develop a range of new physical and digital experiences for kids of all ages. He added that the company has made significant investments in the digital space over the last four years, culminating in its software developer workforce tripling to now encompass more than 1,800 staffers. 

Christiansen did not touch on whether this growth spells the end for LEGO’s relationship with third-party developers. Major studios it has partnered with on gaming projects since 1995 include Warner Bros. Discovery (LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO Batman), Disney (LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes) and Sony (LEGO Horizon Adventures). And free-to-play title LEGO Fortnite, its most recent collaboration with Epic Games, has engaged more than 87 million players since launching last December. 

LEGO’s internal digital teams are currently focused on crafting branded experiences and improving the company’s operating efficiencies. According to the company’s 2024 annual report, some initiatives they accomplished last year include installing new tools to automate order processing for retail partners, launching a suite of trade planning tools for key account managers, and improving the sign-up process for the LEGO Insiders membership program. The LEGO Play app, which rolled out in July 2024, has also reached a new milestone of five million downloads.