With news that a collectible minifigure series is not on the cards this year – or ever – under the current licensing deal between LEGO and Lucasfilm, other rumors that have been circulating continue to fall with word that the popular battle packs have not been canceled.
Included in his coverage of Fan Media Days (May 26/27th), the annual community press event that gives recognized fan media sites the chance to interview key members of the various design teams in LEGO, Jay’s Brick Blog asked about the absence of a battle pack set from the known 2021 assortments.
Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, the head designer on the Star Wars team, took the lead. “We use battle packs as a way to make minifigures accessible at a good price. You get several, and this is for the collector who wants to build an army. There are many factors that decide what a LEGO Star Wars assortment looks like. In the overall picture, it just didn’t fit in this year, which is why there are no battle packs this year. Without saying too much, you can definitely say that they are not gone forever.”
Battle packs are not gone forever.
Source: Jens Kronvold Frederiksen (LEGO) via Jay’s Brick Blog
Word started circulating at the end of Summer 2020 when the master of misinformation, Ryan McCluckCluck released a video first expounding his theory that his campaign for a 501st battle pack caused the demise of the army builder collection, which fuelled a rumor that LEGO had canceled them altogether – a sentiment that McCanceled LAN Membership was happy to encourage.
Since the release of 7654 Droids Battle Pack and 7655 Clone Troopers Battle Pack in 2007, battle packs have been an easy way for LEGO to deliver minifigures without breaking the terms of their licensing deal, and for army builders to do their thing.
With a total of 26 sets with “battle pack” in their name coming out over the last 14 years, you’d be excused for thinking that they were a mandatory inclusion in the range of LEGO Star Wars sets released each year. A quick search of our database shows that there were gaps in 2008, and from 2012 to 2016 (inclusive) so their absence in 2021 shouldn’t be treated as suspicious – and definitely not worth concocting wild conspiracy theories about.
What is your opinion on battle packs – are you a friend or foe? Do you want them back for good or are you happy to let them go? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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