LEGO has officially revealed its first-ever Yu-Gi-Oh! set, and it comes from a fan’s build rather than a corporate design team. The company has announced the winner of its “Yu-Gi-Oh! It’s Time to Duel” challenge, and the prize is a full brick set based on Exodia the Forbidden One.
The set is titled “The Heart of the Cards – Exodia” and was created by Step_on_a_Brick. It features the monster Exodia the Forbidden One, two of the five cards needed to summon him, and a large figure of the franchise’s main character, Yugi Muto. LEGO announced the win earlier this year, though a release date and price have not been revealed.
The Fan Behind the Build
Step_on_a_Brick’s design was selected as the winner of the fan-build competition. The challenge asked Master Builders to create a Yu-Gi-Oh! monster using LEGO bricks while meeting specific requirements. Step_on_a_Brick’s design met those criteria.
The Ideas program has produced sets based on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Twilight, and The Office in the past. Now Yu-Gi-Oh! joins that list through a separate fan-build competition rather than the Ideas program itself.
What the Set Includes
“The Heart of the Cards – Exodia” focuses on one of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s most iconic monsters. Exodia the Forbidden One is a massive card monster, and the set recreates that concept with bricks, showing two of the five cards alongside the monster itself.
The inclusion of Yugi Muto adds a personal touch. He is the franchise’s main protagonist, and his presence in the set ties the Exodia build directly to the story of the original anime and manga.
The Ideas Program History
The Ideas program operates on fan submissions. Fans propose ideas, and if enough supporters back them, LEGO considers producing the product. The process is open to anyone, though the company retains final approval.
Not every successful submission becomes a product. Winning the competition does not guarantee a release. That caveat applies to this set as well. Whether “The Heart of the Cards – Exodia” reaches shelves depends on further testing and approval from LEGO’s product development team.
The Pokémon Competition Running Now
LEGO is also running a Pokémon-themed Ideas challenge called “Pokémon Trading Card Game Challenge: Build Your Card!” This competition lets fans bring another Pokémon to life in brick form from a list provided by LEGO, designed with the trading card game in mind.
The winner of that challenge has not yet been announced, but the Top 5 builds have been revealed. They are Joltik, Mew, Arceus, Gyarados, and Rowlet. Voting ended on June 11, and the winner will be revealed in February 2027.
A Long Line of Licensed Sets
LEGO has a history of licensed collaborations beyond its own lines. The company has worked with well-known brands to bring beloved characters to life, and the Ideas program has become a key part of that strategy.
The Yu-Gi-Oh! set continues that tradition. It is the latest in a string of licensed releases that have expanded LEGO’s range far beyond its core franchises.
What Comes Next
The Yu-Gi-Oh! set is not guaranteed to hit the market despite winning the competition. The company has not announced a release date or price yet.
The Pokémon set, meanwhile, is still in the voting stage. Fans who participated in the challenge will have to wait until February 2027 to learn which build takes home the prize.
Key Facts Box
- Set title: “The Heart of the Cards – Exodia”
- Winner: Step_on_a_Brick
- Monster: Exodia the Forbidden One
- Protagonist figure: Yugi Muto
- Cards included: Two of the five summoning cards
- Pokémon winner announcement: February 2027
- Pokémon voting closed: June 11
The Yu-Gi-Oh! set is a milestone for the brand. It is the first time LEGO has produced a brick set based on the trading card game.
Whether it reaches stores remains to be seen. For now, the announcement stands as proof that LEGO’s fan-build competitions continue to deliver on their promise of turning fan creativity into official products.
See the video the story is built around at Collider.
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