LEGO Horizon Adventures: A Missed Marketing Opportunity

Both longtime Nintendo and PlayStation fans will soon get to explore the universe of Horizon in a brand-new way with the upcoming release of LEGO Horizon Adventures. In this game, up to two players can take on the roles of LEGO versions of Aloy and her companions as they embark on an epic quest to stop the Eclipse and uncover Aloy’s true origins.

Although LEGO Horizon Adventures is scheduled for a Holiday 2024 launch, its promotional efforts have been surprisingly limited for a game in such a popular franchise. So far, the marketing has been restricted to two trailers and a few scattered social media updates. To amplify its visibility, Guerrilla Games could collaborate with Epic Games to orchestrate a cross-promotional event between LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Fortnite.

Tapping Into LEGO Fortnite's Popularity as a Marketing Strategy

In 2023, Epic Games introduced LEGO Fortnite in collaboration with The Lego Group, alongside Rocket Racing and Fortnite Festival. This game mode invites players into expansive open-world environments in Survival mode, much like Minecraft, where they can collect LEGO materials, build structures, gather food, and engage in battles. Additionally, in Sandbox mode, players can freely spawn structures and items without worrying about resource management. Both modes allow up to eight players to share a single world.

However, LEGO Fortnite expands beyond standard Survival and Sandbox gameplay by enabling players and developers to create custom worlds and game modes using Unreal Editor. This creative freedom has allowed The Lego Group and other contributors to design unique LEGO Islands with a variety of gameplay experiences, such as the space-themed Smoothie Odyssey and the fan-favorite LEGO Prop Hunt. Players can also customize their characters with LEGO-themed outfits or modify existing Fortnite skins with LEGO Styles when participating in these LEGO game modes.

The Possibility of a Horizon Adventures and LEGO Fortnite Crossover

Although LEGO Fortnite and LEGO Horizon Adventures are expected to feature distinct gameplay styles, with differing player perspectives, a crossover between the two could be incredibly beneficial for both titles. LEGO Fortnite has already demonstrated its ability to successfully promote other LEGO franchises, as seen earlier this year with the Star Wars Rebel Adventure Island event.

During this event, players donned classic LEGO Star Wars minifigure outfits, wielded LEGO Star Wars weapons, and completed missions with beloved LEGO Star Wars characters, all while working together to build a Star Wars-themed village. They even faced off against LEGO Star Wars enemies, including various types of stormtroopers.

Building on this concept, Epic Games could partner with Guerrilla to create a Horizon Adventures-themed event in LEGO Fortnite. Instead of a star destroyer crashing into the game, the crossover could focus on rogue machines invading the LEGO Fortnite universe. Players, alongside Aloy and her allies, would team up to combat these mechanical threats.

Players could be tasked with completing objectives assigned by Aloy or her companions, which would involve constructing villages inspired by the Carja, Nora, Banuk, or Tenakth tribes. Along the way, they could unlock iconic Horizon weapons such as the bow, spear, sling, tripcaster, and icerail.

Introducing LEGO Horizon Adventures Skins in Fortnite

With LEGO Horizon Adventures already transforming the characters from Horizon Zero Dawn into LEGO minifigures, Guerrilla Games could allow Epic Games to reuse these models for the Fortnite crossover event. This would enable players to unlock or purchase LEGO-themed outfits of fan-favorite Horizon characters like Sylens, Erend, Varl, and Talanah.

Additionally, Epic Games could reintroduce the Aloy outfit and accessories—such as the Blaze Canister Back Bling, Spear Pickaxe, Glinthawk Glider, and Shield-Weaver Wrap—which were first released in 2021. This would be a perfect opportunity to introduce new skins for other Horizon characters within Fortnite’s base game, alongside fresh accessories inspired by the series' machines and weaponry.

In conclusion, leveraging a crossover between LEGO Horizon Adventures and LEGO Fortnite could be a brilliant move to boost the marketing of Guerrilla Games’ upcoming release. The combined popularity of both titles, along with the potential for exciting in-game events and cosmetics, could draw in a wider audience and offer players a fresh, engaging experience.