LEGO Stops Fan-Made Bionicle Game After Years of Development

A team of dedicated fans who spent nearly a decade creating a Bionicle game has been forced to abandon their passion project after receiving a cease and desist order from LEGO.

The fan-made title, called "Bionicle: Masks of Power," was just months away from releasing a public demo when the legal notice came through.

Bionicle was once one of LEGO's biggest franchises in the early 2000s, spanning toys, games, movies, and a rich sci-fi universe. But in recent years, the brand has been dormant, with no new sets or official content—leaving a void that fans like Team Kanohi tried to fill.

According to lead developer Jordan Willis, the team had previously tried to collaborate with LEGO, but their efforts ultimately fell short, and the project was ordered to shut down.

"We are surprised by this development given our project's age and the LEGO Group's reputation for amicable relationships with fan projects. Nonetheless, we are beheld to their whims and have no choice but to comply," Willis said in a statement (as reported by Dexerto).

Before pulling the plug, the team released a full walkthrough video, giving the community a look at everything they had built—and preserving nearly a decade of work that might have otherwise disappeared.

And it wasn’t just a small-scale effort. Masks of Power was a seriously ambitious project. Team Kanohi had assembled a development crew that looked more like a professional studio than a typical fan group. The credits listed voice actors, VFX and concept artists, a full 3D art team, UI designers, lighting experts, animators, cinematics specialists, level and environment designers, and even original music composers.

The game itself was a third-person action title reminiscent of God of War, set in an open environment where players could explore, find upgrades, and follow a central narrative. Despite its high production values—including stylized voice acting similar to Animal Crossing—the game was always planned as a free release.

While the news was a huge blow, Team Kanohi has managed to find a silver lining. The group has now transitioned into an independent studio called Unmasked Games, and they're already working on an original IP called "Rustbound."

“This has been heartbreaking news for our entire team, but we’re also incredibly excited about what the future has in store, and for what we’ll get the chance to create next.”

Though Masks of Power won’t see the light of day, the experience gained from building it has clearly set the foundation for something bigger. And now, with a fresh start and a new studio, Unmasked Games is ready to forge its own path.