After nearly eight years of passion-driven development, a group of dedicated fans working on a fan-made Bionicle game was forced to halt their project following a legal notice from LEGO, issued just months before the demo’s planned release.
A Beloved Franchise with a Fading Legacy
Bionicle, once one of LEGO’s most iconic and beloved franchises of the early 2000s, included TV series, comics, and video games that expanded the rich lore of its universe. However, in recent years, the brand has been dormant, with no new toys or official content released, and it now appears that LEGO has no intention of reviving it in any official capacity.
The Kanohi Team and Their Ambitious Vision
A fan group known as Kanohi had been working on a third-person action-adventure game that aimed to reimagine the Bionicle world with an entirely original storyline. The game featured open-world exploration, character ability upgrades, a dedicated soundtrack, custom voice work similar to Animal Crossing, and a deep combat system with impressive attention to detail.
A Sudden Shutdown from LEGO
Despite the team’s attempts to reach out and collaborate with LEGO, the company ultimately requested that development be ceased entirely. According to project lead Jordan Willis, the team was surprised and disappointed by the takedown, noting that the game had been in development for many years and LEGO typically has a friendly stance toward fan projects. Nonetheless, they complied with the request.
Preserving Years of Work
Following the shutdown, Team Kanohi released a detailed summary of everything they had built over the years, hoping to ensure that their efforts wouldn’t be forgotten. Their project involved a large, passionate team of contributors, including voice actors, visual artists, UI designers, animators, composers, level designers, and more. Remarkably, the game was intended to be released for free.
A New Beginning: Unmasked Games and Rustbound
While the cancellation was a tough blow, the team hasn’t stopped creating. They’ve now launched their own independent studio called Unmasked Games and are currently working on a new original title named Rustbound. In a public statement, the developers said that while the end of their Bionicle project was heartbreaking, they are excited for the future and are determined to build something even better with the experience and skills they’ve gained.
