A new Lego Hogwarts Castle set has been announced, and although it won't be replacing the existing kit, it's a lot cheaper than the previous version.
Due to arrive in time for the new school term on September 1, Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds is a solid $300 less than its predecessor. More specifically, it'll cost $169.99 from the Lego store or £149.99 if you're based in the UK. If you want a point of comparison, the original is sitting at $469.99 / $409.99 right now.
While this new set is a lot smaller at around 2,600 pieces instead of 6K, it still manages to cram in a lot of detail like the Whomping Willow, underground chambers, Astronomy Tower, and Black Lake (the latter of which didn't feature last time). It may also be the only Lego Hogwarts Castle before long; the larger alternative, which makes our list of the best Lego sets, is being retired at some point over the next year or so.
You can see more of the new kit below.
Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds
This version of the wizarding school may be smaller than the previous version, but it's undeniably more manageable in terms of building and storage. It comes with a dedicated display stand featuring the Black Lake too, along with all of the most iconic features of the castle. That includes miniature versions of the Chamber of Secrets, the Potions classroom, and giant chess board seen in the earlier movies. You're even getting the Astronomy Tower, which didn't feature last time.
Although I'm not as keen on this kit personally (perhaps I've been spoiled by the larger version, which is genuinely awe-inspiring), it's a lot better for folks who don't have the space or money for such a colossal behemoth of a set - it'll sit nicely on a desk or shelf without dominating the room.
You can't pre-order the Lego Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set right now, but it shouldn't be long before you can - at that point, it'll be $169.99 via the Lego store or £149.99 in the UK. You should be able to get it from other retailers too, of course; it doesn't seem to be a Lego exclusive, so will probably show up at Amazon and the rest before its September 1 release date.
For more Lego, check out the best Lego Star Wars sets or these Lego deals. As for other things 'new', don't miss our Warhammer 40K 10th edition interview on designing the latest version of the world's biggest wargame.
