We Build the LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus, a Digital-to-Physical Triumph

We build the new LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus set, which comes with Adventure Peely, Brite Bomber, Cuddle Team Leader, and more Fortnite minifigures.

Oct 9, 2024 - 15:00

We Build the LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus, a Digital-to-Physical Triumph

LEGO Fortnite debuted on December 7, 2023, as a game mode within the larger Fortnite app. A Minecraft-esque open world experience, the game launched without any physical LEGO sets to support it, which seemed a bit odd. Whenever there's a new Marvel movie, for example, LEGO coordinates the sets' release with the movie's opening.

But now, 10 months on, LEGO has released the first four physical sets inspired by their new partnership, and the delay has, if anything, driven the hype:

It's to the point that the Battle Bus, which you can order exclusively on the LEGO Store, is currently on backorder. But we managed to snag an advance copy of the set and can tell you that it's worth the wait.

The Battle Bus was an obvious choice for an inaugural Fortnite set; it's synonymous with the game, having existed as a game mechanic in Battle Royale since the Pre-Season. The Battle Bus is the means by which players are airlifted and dropped onto the island – a connective bit of consistency that's remained largely unchanged, aside from cosmetic alterations to mark important events or marketing crossovers.

In LEGO Fortnite, the Battle Bus appeared as part of the new fast travel mechanic in August 2024. It allowed you to speed across the map to the location of your choice, so long as you built a bus station to get you there. But Set #77073 is noticeably more detailed than its digital fast travel counterpart, and in this manner, it takes more after the Battle Royale original than its LEGO iteration.

The LEGO designers divided this set into nine bags: eight numbered ones, plus a separate one that holds the large, shell-like pieces that form the bus' balloon. The instruction booklet comes in a separate package, along with a single page of stickers that include VinderTech decals, 'Battle Bus' signs, and depictions of wear-and-tear.

The set includes nine LEGO minifigures, which represent nine iconic outfits from across the Fortnite universe: Battalion Brawler, Adventure Peely, Brite Bomber, Cuddle Team Leader, Cube Assassin, Trespasser Elite, Drift, Meowscles, and Raven. Adventure Peely is particularly well-rendered and comes with a big, cartoonish headpiece.

The set also includes accessories/items, including two containers of Slurp Juice, two Grapplers, two Pickaxes, and one container of Slap Juice. The bus contains nine seats, and all nine figures can fit inside the bus at once. The bus is narrow, but nearly a foot long and nearly a foot high (including the balloon), which feels about right for a build in this price range.

There's almost no Technic in this build, which is notable, since LEGO has increasingly relied on it over the past several years. Instead, the Battle Bus is a throwback to an earlier, simpler era of LEGO design; the doors lock into place via long support bricks rather than individual pins. And layered bricks, not rods, reinforce the build and make it sturdy.

The build process is very self-evident and practical; what you see is what you get. And you get the impression, while building it, that the LEGO designers have, over a period of decades, polished the 'bus build' to an exact science. A bus is what you're building, and a bus is what you'll get. The final result looks fantastic, and expectedly so.

The newer parts of the build are the roof elements, including four mechanical arms that 'grab' onto the bus from above. And affixed to the roof is a hot air balloon, including a burner with blue flame pieces attached to its sides. The roof is fully detachable, allowing you to easily store the minifigures and accessories inside.

This is an accessible, fun build – simple enough that you can build it into two sittings (or one lengthy one) and varied enough that you never lose interest – you're onto something new before whatever you're working on gets boring. If you're a Fortnite fan who hasn't built with LEGO since you were a little kid, this is a good place to start. The end result looks more complex and intricate than the effort it took to build it, a sure sign of excellent design and execution.

LEGO Fortnite Battle Bus, Set #77073, retails for $99.99, and it is composed of 954 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.