Lego announced 12 new Pokémon Smart Play sets featuring popular characters such as Pikachu, Charizard, Mewtwo, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Eevee [1, 2, 3, 4]. These sets integrate Smart Play technology using Smart Bricks, Smart Tags, and Smart Minifigures to enable interactive features like lights, sounds, and movement detection [1, 5, 3, 4].
The new sets officially launch worldwide on August 1, 2026, with pre-orders opening June 2 [1, 2, 3]. Prices range from about $15 to $20 for smaller sets up to $120 for the largest set, Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle, which contains 751 pieces [2, 3, 4]. Another major all-in-one set, the Training House with Pikachu, is priced at $70 and also includes multiple Smart Bricks and Smart Tags [3, 4].
The Smart Play technology tracks Pokémon "experience" and recognizes actions such as jumps, dashes, and somersaults, simulating battles with lights and sound effects. Pokémon can display different states like happy, tired, dizzy, or sleeping in response to play conditions [5, 4]. Siddharth Muthyala, design director for The Lego Group, said, "Every Pokémon is unique. The technology inside the Pokémon steadily gains something like experience points. When a Pokémon levels up, the toy will light up and beep. The stronger your Pokémon, the better it fares in battles" [5].
Lego’s press release described playful interactions, including feeding a LEGO Pikachu a brick-built LEGO SMART Tag sandwich or tickling LEGO Charizard to get a joyful laugh, aiming to build emotional connections as children prepare their Pokémon for battles [1]. According to Lego, the Smart Brick produces intricate sound effects that capture the monsters’ spirit, rather than merely mimicking them [5].
To celebrate the launch, Lego stores in the US, UK, Germany, France, Poland, and Australia will become Pokémon Go PokéStops throughout August, offering players Pokémon with LEGO-themed backgrounds and avatar items [3]. Customers who spend over $130 on the LEGO Pokémon range can unlock an exclusive LEGO Pokémon Smart Play: Ditto as Squirtle: Movie Night set, while supplies last [3].
