The LEGO Minecraft theme is a collaboration between Mojang and the LEGO Group, based on the video game Minecraft. Created by Swedish programmer Markus "Notch" Persson, Minecraft was later developed and published by Mojang and Microsoft. The first set, Minecraft: Micro World – The Forest, was released in 2012 under LEGO Ideas through the LEGO CUUSOO program. The theme officially launched in 2013, and at MineCon that year, LEGO announced a new wave of minifigure-scale Minecraft sets.
2013 LEGO Sets
2013 introduced Legends of Chima, a heavily promoted fantasy line positioned as Ninjago’s successor, complete with a companion TV series. Licensed debuts included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Lone Ranger, and new DUPLO tie-ins for Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Mickey Mouse. Collectors pursued the ultra-rare Mr. Gold minifigure from Series 10, limited to just 5,000 worldwide. This year also marked LEGO’s shift from 4-digit to 5-digit set numbering as Monster Fighters, SpongeBob SquarePants, Cars, and Dino concluded.