Bionicle: Masks of Power—man, this fan game was cooking for, like, eight years. Then bam! LEGO swoops in, and it’s game over. Just like that. The devs, probably tearing their hair out, dropped this whole situation in a Google Doc for, you know, those hardcore fans who’ve been itching to play.
So, these devs were all set to drop a demo in August. Like, finally, right? Then LEGO knocks and says, “Hey, mind shutting this down?” Poof. Gone from the web. They were trying to stick to LEGO’s Fair Play stuff—like, staying under the legal radar—but looks like no dice. Apparently, folks might confuse it with an official game. Funny how being too good at SEO can backfire like this.
But here’s a twist—after the smackdown, the devs made a walkthrough for the demo (nice touch) and decided, “Why not start fresh?” Boom! Welcome Unmasked Games. Kind of a nod to Bionicle with the name, right? They ended their statement on a hopeful note though. Something about the future being bright and all that jazz. “For the final time… May the Great Spirit guide you.” Man, you feel the nostalgia in that.
And Bionicle? Dead since 2010. Last toy came out and then—crickets. Greg Farshtey did some comics, but that’s ancient history too. It’s like, besides this small circle of diehards, who even remembers Bionicle? Wild how legal folks gotta guard the IP like it’s Fort Knox, even when it’s been asleep for a decade. Bitter irony, huh?
It’s a buzzkill, really. Some say, “Keep quiet and drop the game” is the way to dodge this mess, but not every team has the luxury of stealth mode. That said, if Masks of Power was your jam, maybe throw some love Unmasked Games’ way? Here’s hoping they bounce back strong.
LEGO’s playing it quiet for now, but if they say anything, you’ll hear it here first. By the way, did Bionicle even cross your mind lately? Drop your thoughts below, if you feel like it.
