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4 clusters · 10 sources · 28 days · First seen · Last updated

LEGO SMART Play Pokémon rollout expands

Overview

The LEGO Group continued its staged U.S. rollout of the SMART Play Pokémon line throughout July and August 2026. At San Diego Comic-Con (July 23-26), the company unveiled the LEGO SMART Play Gateway, a booth that let visitors step through portals into LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Pokémon worlds using the new SMART Brick, which reads tags, emits light and sound, and senses motion.

The following week, the partnership with The Pokémon Company International brought twelve interactive LEGO Pokémon SMART Play sets to Target stores, with launch events from August 1-23 that offered free tote bags, Pokéball-making workshops, and other giveaways. To promote the launch, a short video featured actors Terry Crews and Finn Wolfhard as LEGO Pokémon Trainers; Crews selected Jigglypuff and Wolfhard selected Charizard for a staged battle.

The campaign tied into the Pokémon XP event and the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, with demo stations at select LEGO retail locations and online previews. Retail engagement continued through August 23 with an interactive Pokémon Training Ground at a Target in Westbury, Long Island. This event, one of only four such occurrences in the United States, featured building stations, sticker activities, and photo opportunities with a life-size brick Pikachu.

Entities

Pokémon · Lego Group · Joffre Bricks · The Pokémon Company International · Target

Timeline

  1. 25 days ago

    [CULTURE] 3 sources
    Pokémon and LEGO enthusiasts celebrate with retail events and custom builds

    LEGO Pokémon sets are being celebrated through a special interactive fan event at a Westbury, New York Target and a new community-designed Rowlet alternative build.

  2. about 1 month ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    LEGO Group launches Pokémon SMART Play sets with Terry Crews and Finn Wolfhard

    LEGO released Pokémon SMART Play sets on Aug 1, featuring interactive tech. Actors Terry Crews and Finn Wolfhard promoted the line as LEGO Pokémon Trainers, picking Jigglypuff and Charizard for a staged battle.

  3. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    LEGO Group launches Pokémon SMART Play sets with Target events in US

    LEGO and Pokémon launch 12 interactive SMART Play sets; Target runs US events Aug 1‑23 with tote bag promos and Make‑&‑Take workshops.

  4. about 2 months ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
    LEGO Group unveils SMART Play Gateway at San Diego Comic-Con 2026

    The LEGO Group launched its LEGO SMART Play Gateway booth at San Diego Comic‑Con 2026, featuring interactive Star Wars and Pokémon experiences with the new SMART Brick and unveiling several new sets.

Sources

giantfreakinrobot.com · gjsentinel.com · gonintendo.com · jensonusa.com · longislandpress.com · portwashington-news.com · stocktitan.net · thebrickfan.com · thebrickpost.com · whatnowatlanta.com

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history