FIRST® LEGO® League - Future Edition
LEGO® has introduced a new Computer Science & AI Kit that will replace the current SPIKE™ Prime Kit. The SPIKE™ Prime kit is retiring and will be sunset by June 30, 2031.
How does that affect FIRST® LEGO® League?
On January 12, 2026, FIRST® LEGO® League announced it is transitioning to this new kit starting with the 2026-2027 season.
FIRST® LEGO® League will enter a new, temporary chapter beginning August 2026, with two editions running in parallel through May 2028:
Founders Edition (SPIKE™-based): The FIRST LEGO League program as it exists today, continuing with LEGO Education SPIKE™ technology. The last season for Founders Edition is 2027-2028.
Future Edition (Based on LEGO Education Computer Science & AI hardware): A new experience powered by LEGO Education Computer Science & AI, designed to expand access and engagement for students and educators. The first season for Future Edition is the 2026-2027 season.
FIRST and LEGO are still releasing details about these editions.
Founders vs Future
The Kits
Coding Canvas
The web application to use the coding platform is also changing. LEGO has introduced a new website for coding the new kits, and some updates are expected in April.
LEGO Education Coding Canvas is evolving in April with a new design and novel Computer Science & AI features!
Our Response
This is a BIG and welcomed change. It presents an opportunity to adopt modern computing and AI concepts with greater emphasis on transferable programming and engineering skills. It will be an interesting evolution for FLL and teams as they explore the new hardware.
Some of the sensors from the SPIKE™ Prime kit were not as widely used in competitions. Additionally, the barriers to entry for some students were steeper than usual, and the past couple of years’ challenges had turned into line-following robot challenges. Considering all of these factors, we believe this is a positive change.
The format and approach FIRST has outlined for FLL to solve challenges is more closely aligned with how FTC and FRC championship games are run.
AI Camera
The new AI kit includes a camera or optical device. Having AI/ML vision models tuned to solve specific problems, similar to Teachable Machine by Google, should be interesting for students.
Two Types of Teams
We are planning to participate in both editions. We have teams that will continue with the Founders Edition for the 2026-2027 season, and we are also forming new teams to participate in the Future Edition of FLL.
The curriculum will evolve with AI-enabled sensors, as will the FLL challenges, but the principles of how a robot moves remain the same. We are closely monitoring announcements from FIRST and LEGO. As we gather more information and participate in their roadshows, we will keep the community updated.
Join our waitlist and Discord channel to keep yourself updated.