Revisiting LEGO’s Overwatch theme: Hands-on with our favorite sets and more

LEGO and Blizzard’s collaboration began nearly one year ago with the debut of an exclusive Bastion kit. Shortly after that release, we got wind of even more kits on the horizon. Skip forward to the start of 2019 and fans could bring home six LEGO sets centering around the many heroes and maps from the Overwatch universe. 

Now that the kits have been on the market for quite some time, we’re taking a second look. Frequent discounts have made the theme much more eye-catching. So now we’re going hands-on with the lineup to see which are must-haves, which are our personal favorites and which aren’t worthy of your brick-built collections altogether. 

Highlights from LEGO’s Overwatch sets

As a recap, the original LEGO Overwatch wave consisted of six different sets which entered with a retail price from $15 to $90. From new elements to exclusive minifigures and more, there’s a lot that stood out for LEGO fans here.

Minifigures

Arguably the most enticing aspect of the kits is in the selection of exclusive minifigures. Of the 26 heroes available in-game at the time of release, only 12 had made their way into brick-built form. Pretty much all of the well-known characters made the cut into LEGO’s first wave of kits. There’s the expected standouts like Tracer, Reaper and Solider 76. Another notable inclusion here is the Winston bigfig; which fans will certainly find to be one of the highlights from the Blizzard series.

Though whichever of the figures happens to be your main in Overwatch, their brick incarnations will surely not disappoint. All 12 come comprised of brand-new torsos, heads and helmet/hair elements. Most of these stack up to having some of the most exceptional details we’ve seen in minifigures this year. And of course, all of the characters are instantly recognizable as their in-game counterparts. Each come rocking their default skins from the game, rather than any of the other variants. 

Pieces

To complement the lot of new figure-centric elements, LEGO has also introduced a selection of new printed pieces to help fit with the Overwatch world theming. There’s a new 2×1 transparent blue cylinder that comes sporting a health pack decal. And on the Watchpoint: Gibraltar-inspired kits, you’ll find a new printed dome. There’s also a new Overwatch logo piece, which makes an appearance in quite a few sets. 

Despite the efforts from LEGO to give some love towards filling the Overwatch sets with printed iconography, stickers still carry most of the weight. This reliance on stickers has been a folly of so many kits this year, and unfortunately, not even Blizzard could convince LEGO to double-down on printed bricks. 

Even so, the stickers are pretty solid, with most sets just having a few small decals to apply. Some kits are worse offenders than others, but across the board, I’m not too irked about their presence. 

Our Favorite – Bastion 

Even though he’s not the face of Overwatch in the same way that Tracer or Winston is, Bastion is a fan-favorite for many in the community. This marks the second time we’ve seen the evil Omnic turned lovable robot make a LEGO appearance. We had mixed feelings on the original debut, but that’s changed this time around. Here, LEGO has managed to turn Bastion into the Overwatch theme’s most notable release; both in the final model and the kit’s value. 

At a $49.99 retail price, you’ll get 602 pieces that stack up to an over 10-inch tall articulated robot. Not meant to fit into minifigure scale like the rest of the kits, this one is more of a statue than a playset. Opting for a larger size just doesn’t demand a higher cost or part count than the previous iteration, it also allows LEGO to up the ante on staying true to the source material. 

Alongside pose-able arms and legs, other notable features here are the inclusion of a brick-built version of his bird companion. A well-placed light-up brick also comes installed in Bastion’s head, which is a nice touch. 

Authenticity is something that this version of the hero absolutely nails. The design is stellar and brings the Omnic to life; you can also hear the joyous beeps and whistles of the character as you assemble him. 

Just like in the game, you’ll also be able to convert Basion into his alternate turret mode. The conversion shows just how ingenious the model’s design is, as you can transform without having to take apart or reassemble any of the sections; aside from his head which easily pops off.

All of these highlights ultimately mean that even at retail price, it’s easy to recommend Bastion. That’s not to mention that we’ve recently been seeing it on sale for around $40, which is quite frankly a steal. 

Best Value – Dorado Showdown 

Entering as the most notable playset from the Overwatch theme, Dorado Showdown is not only another favorite, but the best value you’ll find here. Retailing for $29.99, this 419-piece kit as pretty much everything going for it. Drawing inspiration from the Hero short film, this set assembles the facade of a building on the map Dorado. It comes complemented by a truck-style payload vehicle and some other fitting decor for the location. 

The entire package comes together to craft a near-perfect vignette. Relying on context from the Overwatch lore, it packs a great representation of the Dorado map. Play features make an appearance here in the form of letting you reenact scenes. It’s one of the best playsets I’ve seen from LEGO in recent years and is a poster child for pairing display-worthiness with interactivity. 

If the impeccable build itself wasn’t enough already, the set features three minifigures to round out the experience. You’ll bring home Soldier 76, McCree and Reaper. The two former entries are exclusive to this creation.

Parts per dollar is insane considering your getting three awesome figures. Durado Showdown is a bargain at $30, but the fact that you can often find it on sale for up to 40% less makes this one an absolute must. 

High Playability – Hanzo vs. Genji

Those in search of a more play-centric Overwatch kit will want to look towards LEGO’s Hanzo vs. Genji set. Tying directly into the Dragons short film, this 197-piece creation assembles a portion of the Hanamura map. Most of this $19.99 kit centers around the location of the map’s second control point. Those who have spent any time attacking or defending on Hanamura will recognize the Japanese shrine cues. 

Aside from just capturing the in-game scenery, this kit also builds in some play features directly linked to Dragons. On each of the end sections, you’ll find a disk launcher that corresponds to Genji or Hanzo’s ultimate abilities. On one side there’s a disk that represents the green Dragon Blade, with the blue Dragonstrike on the other.

This is a clever way to bring elements from Overwatch into brick-built form. Unfortunately, it’s a bit underwhelming in actual execution. The thought is you can have the two heroes battle against each other, but it doesn’t work very well in practice. 

Even so, this one is great for younger Overwatch fans looking to get their brick-built action on. On the collectors side of things, this kit’s exclusive figures are the most notable element. It’s a solid overall value at $20, especially you do get both Genji and Hanzo. Even so, I’d still recommend waiting to grab this one on sale; that is unless bringing the Shimada brothers to your collection is a must. 

A lackluster build – D.Va & Reinhardt

D.Va is one of my favorite heroes in all of Overwatch, and so this was one of the more anticipated releases for me. Unfortunately, her LEGO debut ends up being a bit of a letdown, considering the D.Va & Reinhardt kit is the least enticing build in the Overwatch lineup. 

This 455-piece set retails for $39.99 and as you can guess from the name, includes D.Va in her Mecha and Reinhardt in his Power armor. Both of the included exclusive minifigures are the standouts for this one, with the brick-built inclusions being hit or miss.

D.Va’s Mecha is extremely well-done is and about as true to the in-game inspiration as can be. It executes on the robot’s bulbous design to a pretty spot-on degree. And what’s even more noteworthy is that’s at a scale that feels like it fits with the rest of the characters. Stickers are heavy on this build for adding in decals, but it fits oddly well; most of the stickers are of sponsor logos, so it works. 

Now where the set takes a turn for the worse is with Rienhardt. While D.Va’s Mecha fits nicely into minifigure scale, this build is a bit too large in my opinion. It’s also a bland creation, as we’ve seen pretty much the same design used in past sets like The Avengers Hulkbuster. Aside from the slick new shoulder pad elements, there isn’t much that stands out here. 

Even though you’re grabbing 455-pieces for $40 and two exclusive figs, I wouldn’t pick this up unless it was on sale. D.Va’s side of the build may be great, but Rienhardt lowers the overall value for me. 

Bookended by Watchpoint: Gibraltar 

LEGO’s Overwatch theme both starts and ends by recreating various elements from the Watchpoint: Gibraltar map. Quite fittingly, on the lower end, you’ll start by escorting the payload. The lineup then culminates in a massive rocket ship and launch bay.

For $15, you’ll be able to grab the 129-piece Tracer vs. Widowmaker kit which prominently assembles the payload as seen in-game. Despite being a more simplistic creation, the designers have managed to pack the build with the Overwatch aesthetic. The payload vehicle is skillfully-crafted and makes some interesting part inclusions to pull off the recognizable look. 

On top of that, you’ll get two minifigures which in their rights make this build a must-have. Both Tracer and Widowmaker are included here, and even more notably, are exclusive to this release.

This is one worth grabbing whether you can find it on sale or at retail price. Price per dollar is certainly solid considering you’re getting two figs that can only be found in this edition of the LEGO Overwatch lineup. We’ve consistently been seeing it on sale for around $10 as well.

Once you’ve pushed the payload to the end of the theme, you’ll find Watchpoint: Gibraltar at $89.99. The 730-piece build assembles the Overwatch rocket as well as a complementary launch tower. 

First and foremost, the included ship passes one of the most importable tests a brick-built airborne vehicle can face: swooshability – the ability for LEGO vehicles to be picked up and flown around. This mainly has a solid frame construction to thank. Though it’s still a notable feat considering the source material’s futuristic design is present in full force.  

Watchpoint: Gibraltar’s other highlights

Displayability is another big aspect of this Blizzard kit, with Watchpoint: Gibraltar carrying the largest presence of the Overwatch lineup. The ship docks in the launch platform is perfect for adding onto your game room or collection. There’s more than looks here though, as the ship carries plenty of internal room for minifigures like a cockpit, cargo section and more. 

Another interesting aspect here is that this build combines with the Tracer vs. Widowmaker set. The smaller payload vehicle can dock onto the rear portion of the Overwatch Rocket. It’s a neat little inclusion that ties together the Watchpoint: Gibraltar-themed builds.

Like most of the Overwatch kits, minifigures are a huge highlight here. This $90 build has the most impressive selection of figures in the lineup; something that goes the distance to justify the higher price tag. You’ll most notably get Winston, as well as Mercy and Pharah; all three of which are exclusives. Reaper also makes another appearance here, making him the only hero to be included in two different kits.

As far as downsides go, the only thing that this kit doesn’t have going for it is the same instantly-recognizable design. All of the other creations are synonymous with Overwatch in one way or another; whether it’s recreating a short film, being the objective on a map or recreating characters. Here, the same Blizzard style just isn’t captured as well.

Dishing out full price for this one isn’t a great value, but this one doesn’t go on sale as regularly as the more affordable LEGO Overwatch entries. So if you want the figures, then this is one you’ll have to grab at retail. It has rarely gone on sale, so unfortunately it’s one that full price is hard to avoid.

LEGO Overwatch sets going forward 

Amongst all of the recent themes that LEGO has introduced, the Overwatch line has some of the most potential going forward. I’m excited to see where it goes, with the two most recent kits showing that the collaboration with Blizzard still has some tricks up their sleeve.  

The second wave of kits has not only expanded the cast of original heroes but also introduced some of the newer characters into the theme. Both the Wrecking Ball and Junkertown builds show that the two companies can release unique creations that are welcomed additions to the lineup – and not just the same playsets with new heroes. Plus with an ever-growing list of in-game characters, there’s a lot of room for expansion. 

Overwatch itself is getting bigger than ever too. The expanding player base will undoubtedly make it worth LEGO’s while to keep releasing models. And considering the booming esports league centered around the hit title from Blizzard, there’s a lot of growth potential on the horizon. 

While it seems unlikely that we’ll get any new releases by year’s end, 2020 is looking solid for some new kits. I’d personally love to see heroes like Zenyatta and Orisa make their way into LEGO form, to name a few. 

Some Overwatch sets we’d like to see in the future from LEGO

Aside from just expanding the theme with new kits like we’ve seen, LEGO has some other ways to mix it up with Overwatch sets. With the figures being such a notable aspect of the lineup, I could see a Collectible minifigure Series released at some point in the future. It would give them the chance to catch up on the 15 heroes we still have yet to see without having to create standalone sets for each map or character. And because there’s a massive collection of alternate skins for each hero, there’s plenty of different variations to add-in.

Another untapped market for the Blizzard theme is BrickHeadz. In 2019, LEGO has noticeably taken a step back from its rampant production of the brick-built figures. But with reports that the brand plans to change that next year, I’d love to see a series of figures to expand upon the Overwatch lineup. 

Final thoughts on the LEGO Overwatch sets

Across all six of LEGO releases, Overwatch fans will find each of the sets to be a must-have in some capacity. Whether you’re just looking to grab the figures, or you want to adorn a shelf with iconic locations from the game. There are certainly kits that you’ll want to gravitate towards over others, but even the weaker sets still have some notable appeal. 

It’s pretty uncommon for a theme’s first wave to be as solid overall as it is here. Which makes the first six LEGO Overwatch sets to be well-worth your time, especially if you can grab them at a discount. 

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