Bionicle: Masks of Power—an ambitious fan-made game that’s been churning away in the background for, get this, eight years—has hit a brick wall thanks to LEGO. Or, at least, that’s what the developers are saying.
So, they dropped this bomb via, of all things, a Google Doc—yeah, a Google Doc. The team laid it all out for the fans who’ve been on edge, waiting to finally play this elusive game. They were gearing up to release a demo this August, but LEGO gave them the ol’, “Hey, can you not?” Apparently, LEGO pulled the plug—told them to fade into the shadows and make the game vanish.
I mean, they tried to follow LEGO’s Fair Play Guidelines. Like, “Please don’t sue us; we’re just fans.” But then, boom—the hammer came crashing down. They didn’t even get a proper reason; just some vague sense LEGO might think people could confuse this with an official project. What a way to get bitten by your SEO, right?
The team didn’t roll over entirely, though. They put out a walkthrough of the demo—kind of a “here’s what could’ve been” moment—and decided to morph into this indie gang called Unmasked Games. Cool name though, right? A nod to their Bionicle roots—clever but ready to step into new things. They ended the note all upbeat: “We’re gutted but also psyched about our new adventures.” Very “chin up” vibes.
Quick history detour—Bionicle’s been dormant since, like, 2010. LEGO hasn’t touched it. A bunch of comics by Greg Farshtey fizzled out too ages ago. Yet, legal eagles swoop in to guard this dusty heap. Bionicle’s back in the public chat, I guess. Crazy how protecting a long-shelved IP works, especially when a niche community’s trying to fan the flames. Total downer!
Honestly, it’s a risky game. Some fan developers choose the “operate in silence” strategy, avoiding the spotlight until their projects quietly drop, hoping no legal cease-fire comes crashing down.
But hey, if Masks of Power was your thing, maybe toss some support towards Unmasked Games. Who knows what they’ll come up with next?
We’ve pinged LEGO for comments, but who knows when they’ll say something. Or if they even will. By the way, when was the last time Bionicle popped into your head before all this? Drop a line below or something.
