Lego Dimensions dropped
Toys-to-life genre loses another player as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment pulls the plug a year earlier than planned
Lego Dimensions is the latest toys-to-life game to be put on the shelf. Eurogamer is reporting that Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is finished with the brand-spanning crossover, which combined franchises like Batman, Lord of the Rings, and The Lego Movie into a single game world that could be further expanded by collecting Lego kits for properties like Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, and Doctor Who.
A WBIE representative told the site it was simply continuing to "look at the future product slate," but an email sent to the staff of Lego Dimensions developer TT Games from studio manager Dave Dootson confirmed the news internally.
"Thanks so much to everyone for making Dimensions possible," Dootson said. "As difficult as it has been, it is worth celebrating the incredible achievement it represents in the quality of the game, the amazing blend of IPs and the challenging technical demands it presented. It stands as a real testament to the talent within TT."
Lego Dimensions debuted in September of 2015 to positive reviews that expressed concerns about the total investment required of players. The product line's final releases came two years later with last month's launch of kits based on Powerpuff Girls and Teen Titans Go.
According to Eurogamer, WBIE had planned for three years of support for the game, including a Lego Minecraft expansion, another Doctor Who pack, and a storyline-concluding add-on featuring the antagonist Lord Vortech.
The demise of Lego Dimensions leaves the toys-to-life genre in poor shape. Among the other major brands in the space, Disney Infinity was cancelled last year, and Activision has put Skylanders on the sidelines for 2017 with no guarantee of a return in 2018. However, the genre isn't completely moribund. Nintendo has continued to produce and announce new amiibo toys at a steady clip, and Ubisoft has its own toys-to-life effort in the works.
[UPDATE]: WBIE has now confirmed the reports, saying, "After careful consideration, we will not be producing new expansion packs for the game beyond what is now available." However, Lego Dimensions will remain on shelves for the time being and the company will continue to provide customer service support and keep the game's servers online.