A LEGO Ideas submission almost became the first Animal Crossing set

Five LEGO Animal Crossing sets will be arriving in early 2024, but they were almost beaten out of the gate by a LEGO Ideas submission in 2021.

We recently got our first official look at five LEGO Animal Crossing models due to launch on March 1, 2024. The sets are based on characters and locations from the popular Nintendo simulation game series, complete with island villager minifigures, buildings and accessories.

Despite some negative fan reactions, the game’s enduring popularity is still likely to make the LEGO Animal Crossing models a hit, with potential for all kinds of additional sets that could be added to the initial line-up. While that’s pure speculation on our part, it’s interesting to note that another Animal Crossing build actually appeared back in 2021, as a successful LEGO Ideas submission that managed to reach 10,000 votes.

The model was created by ex-LEGO designer Tiago Catarino, who had worked at Billund from 2016 to 2019. While he was there he was responsible for the likes of 92177 Ship in a Bottle and 10267 Gingerbread House. Now a fan designer with his own YouTube channel, Tiago’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons Paradise submission made it into the first 2021 LEGO Ideas review, but wasn’t ultimately selected to become a fully-fledged set.

At the time, the designer stated that the model used between 1,200 and 1,400 LEGO elements and it included a base house, mail box, log bench, community DIY workshop and campfire. Animal Crossing: New Horizons Paradise was constructed at a larger-than minifigure scale, to allow for more brick-built details to shine through and the set was suggested as being a possible sub-$99 build.

While Animal Crossing: New Horizons Paradise now remains merely a concept build, fans of the video game series can still look forward to purchasing their own LEGO Animal Crossing models when all five sets are released next year.

Every LEGO Animal Crossing set confirmed
for 2024 so far

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