Lego shut down a Bionicle fangame 8 years in the making—1 year later, its developers are back with something legally distinct and arguably cooler
After eight years of development, Lego shut down Bionicle: Masks of Power, a fan-made third-person action game by Team Kanohi (now Unmasked Games), citing a shift in the company’s stance toward fan-created media. Despite coexisting peacefully for years, Lego issued a cease-and-desist, with the developers speculating the game was problematic because it was “too easy to mistake for an official product”—particularly as it appeared near the top of Google search results for “Bionicle game.”
Undeterred, Unmasked Games has returned one year later with Rustbound, a new project described as “legally distinct and arguably cooler” than their previous work. The new title abandons Lego’s intellectual property while retaining the gameplay philosophy and creative quality that impressed fans during Masks of Power’s eight-year run.
The situation illustrates the ongoing tension between fan passion projects and corporate intellectual property enforcement. While Lego’s protective stance is legally justified, the developers’ swift pivot demonstrates that creative momentum and community dedication can survive legal obstacles when channeled into original works.