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

It’s quite remarkable that despite being one of the most successful franchises ever, Pokémon has yet to have its own official line of LEGO sets. However, the wait is finally over. Last month, The LEGO Group shared its exciting collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company to introduce LEGO sets inspired by the beloved Pokémon universe, all set to roll out starting in 2026. This partnership promises to span several years, but apart from a teasing glimpse of a LEGO Pikachu in the announcement trailer, we don’t have much detail about what exactly is in store.

With Pokémon stepping into the LEGO world, it makes you wonder if this could eventually lead to the creation of a LEGO Pokémon video game. While not every franchise that gets a LEGO set makes it to the video game sphere—think Sonic the Hedgehog and Minecraft—it does open up intriguing possibilities. Should these companies ever decide to create a LEGO Pokémon game, they might want to take a cue from “Cobblemon,” a popular fan-made mod that illustrates a blend of both worlds beautifully.

For those unfamiliar, Cobblemon has quietly been making waves in the Minecraft mod community. This innovative open-source mod introduces an array of charming, block-style Pokémon to Minecraft’s expansive sandbox. It’s considered a sort of spiritual successor to the now-discontinued Pixelmon mod that had to be pulled back in 2017. Despite being a newer entity, Cobblemon is bustling with features and content.

It brings more than 700 Pokémon to the game, capturing the essence of the main titles, allowing players to engage in thrilling Pokémon battles against the AI or each other. Its combat aligns closely with the Pokémon Showdown! engine to capture the competitive spirit of the official games, and even adopts some nifty features from Pokémon Legends: Arceus, like re-learning moves and optional evolution. Furthermore, Cobblemon enriches the Minecraft world with new in-game structures, often hiding chests brimming with loot, adding even more depth to the Minecraft experience.

From a creative standpoint, Cobblemon would serve as a fantastic blueprint for a LEGO Pokémon game. While not officially sanctioned, its design and mechanics mirror what fans might expect from such a crossover. It already has a LEGO-esque look thanks to its Minecraft roots and mirrors many of the essential catching and battling mechanics inherent to Pokémon games. Moreover, Cobblemon encourages creativity—much like LEGO—by allowing players to craft and install their own Pokémon using custom packs. Combined with Minecraft’s inherent LEGO-like world, Cobblemon feels like a near-perfect starting point for a LEGO Pokémon title.

Unfortunately, a significant hurdle in manifesting a LEGO Pokémon game is Nintendo’s historically cautious approach to developing games involving properties they don’t fully own. This pattern is evident in the absence of LEGO video game adaptations for other big Nintendo franchises like Super Mario and Zelda, even though they’ve had their own LEGO sets. Still, given the massive appeal both globally recognized brands hold, a LEGO Pokémon game stands a high chance of being a commercial success. Hopefully, The LEGO Group and Nintendo will eventually put their heads together to make this long-awaited dream a reality.