LEGO Universe, the upcoming MMO from NetDevil, is now in pre-order mode. The game, which will have you taking your Minifig into battle with the imagination-hating Maelstrom, is available for pre-order as of today from various LEGO stores, both online and brick-and-mortar. Folks who pre-order will also receive an exclusive Minifig, both real and in-game.

LEGO Universe is due out in the second half of this year. It continues to look intriguing, and the pre-order bonus is just another carrot.

The Countdown to LEGO® Universe Has Begun:

The LEGO® Universe team is proud to announce the kick-off of LEGO Universe pre-orders. Players may reserve their boxed copy of the game beginning Friday, May 14 in LEGO channels including LEGO Stores, LEGO Online Shop, LEGOLAND, and LEGOUniverse.com.

People who pre-order the game will pay 39.99 USD or EUR, or 29.99 GBP for a boxed copy of the game, including the LEGO Universe Game DVD, 30 days of free play, a story leaflet and a user guide. While supplies last, all pre-orders will also receive an exclusive, Minifigure and a unique code card to redeem the Minifigure in-game.

As you know, closed-beta testing for LEGO Universe is in full swing, and fans can still register to be a LEGO Universe beta tester on the website here: http://us.universe.lego.com/en-us/Beta/Default.aspx

Launch is planned for the second half of 2010. At launch, the game will be available for PC. LEGO Universe will be based on a subscription model, and more detailed pricing information will be announced shortly before launch. Every subscription to LEGO Universe will allow up to four different characters to be built and played.

The availability of pre-orders for LEGO Universe means fans are one step closer to building, creating, exploring and discovering all of the fantastic adventures within. Stay tuned for more news to come from LEGO Universe soon!