For over a decade, Traveller’s Tales has been considered the de facto Lego game studio, having been responsible for multiple licensed games involving Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. However, it’s been reported that publisher 2K Games has acquired the Lego license, specifically for a line-up of sports games.
According to VGC’s sources, 2K has already signed a multi-game partnership with Lego. Reportedly, this is because the Lego company’s exclusivity deal with the aforementioned Traveller’s Tales is set to expire soon, so it’s looking to expand its video game output.
Two titles from 2K are already in active development. The first is a soccer game developed by Sumo Digital, which has some sports game experience with a few tennis games. This one is expected to release later this year to coincide with the FIFA World Cup. Funnily enough, this wouldn’t be the first Lego soccer game; there was Lego Soccer Mania in 2002, although it received mixed reviews.
The second is a new racing game expected to launch in 2023. This one’s being helmed by WWE 2K developer Visual Concepts and is said to feature an open-world setting. This sounds quite reminiscent of 2001’s Lego Racers 2, which had multiple open-world locations to explore and drive through to reach new racing challenges. Whether or not it will bear the Lego Racers moniker is unknown at this time.
VGC adds that a third game is in development too, but the only information available is that it’s based on a major sports franchise. One of its sources has also suggested that these sports games could feature guest cameos from franchises Lego has tackled before. You could theoretically see Lego Darth Vader and Lego Spider-Man play soccer together, although this has yet to be officially confirmed.
Regardless, this could mark an exciting new chapter in Lego’s gaming history and lead the way to a wider variety of Lego-themed games beyond Traveller’s Tales’ offerings.
