After spending eight years building one of the most ambitious BIONICLE fan games ever made, the developers behind BIONICLE: Masks of Power were forced to shut the project down. Instead of giving up, however, the team turned the setback into something completely new.
Now known as Unmasked Games, the developers are working on Project Rustbound, an original third-person action-adventure game that gives the team a chance to build its own world and IP.
Just to avoid confusion: the Rustbound mentioned in this article is Project Rustbound from Unmasked Games, the team behind BIONICLE: Masks of Power. It is a completely separate project from the similarly named Rustbound by Wylde Wisp Games, which is already available on Steam.
LEGO Shut Down Eight Years of Work
BIONICLE: Masks of Power was created by a group of dedicated BIONICLE fans who spent around eight years developing the game. The project eventually became far more ambitious than a typical fan game, with a large world, cinematic presentation, combat and detailed environments built using Unreal Engine.
The team had also been preparing a playable demo when LEGO stepped in.
In May 2025, Team Kanohi announced that it had been asked to stop development of Masks of Power. The developers had attempted to operate within LEGO's fan-project guidelines, with the game planned as a free, unofficial project. However, the team believed that the increasingly polished nature of the game may have made it easier for people to mistake it for an official BIONICLE product.
For a project that had consumed roughly eight years of development, it was a huge setback.
They Didn't Throw Eight Years Away
What happened next is arguably the most interesting part of the story.
Rather than abandon game development, the team used what it had learned from Masks of Power to start again under a new identity. Team Kanohi became Unmasked Games, and the developers began working on an original IP called Project Rustbound.
This time, there is no BIONICLE universe to work inside and no LEGO-owned characters or branding to worry about. The developers can create their own characters, lore and world from the ground up.
"Project Rustbound" Finally Gets Its Moment
After more than a year of silence following the cancellation, Unmasked Games has started showing what comes next.
Project Rustbound is being developed as a third-person action-adventure game and is currently in active pre-production. While the project is still early in development, its connection to Masks of Power makes it especially interesting to longtime BIONICLE fans.
The developers are essentially taking the experience gained from years of building Masks of Power and applying it to a world they actually own. That could ultimately give the team far more creative freedom than it ever had as a fan project.
From BIONICLE Fans to an Independent Studio
There is something surprisingly positive about the way this story has developed.
Masks of Power could have simply disappeared after LEGO asked the team to stop development. Instead, the people behind it turned the experience into the foundation for an independent studio.
Unmasked Games is also showcasing its growing team on its official website, giving fans a look at the people now working behind the studio and its new projects.
For the developers, this means the eight years spent creating Masks of Power were not necessarily wasted. The game itself may never be released, but the skills, technology and development experience gained during those years can now be used to create something entirely their own.
Could Rustbound Become BIONICLE's Spiritual Successor?
It is still far too early to say whether Project Rustbound will become the game BIONICLE fans hoped Masks of Power would be. The project remains in pre-production, and there is currently no confirmed release date.
But that uncertainty is also what makes the project worth watching.
Unmasked Games has already demonstrated what its developers can accomplish with a passionate fan project. Now they have the opportunity to take those lessons and build something without having to follow another company's universe.
For BIONICLE fans, Project Rustbound may therefore be worth keeping an eye on — not because it is another BIONICLE game, but because it could be the beginning of something completely new from the people who once tried to bring BIONICLE back to life.
What's Next for Unmasked Games?
For now, the studio is focused on building Project Rustbound, with development still in its early stages. The team is continuing to expand its presence and showcase the people working behind the project.
There is no release date yet, but considering where this team started, Rustbound has an unusual story before it has even reached players.
Eight years of work on a BIONICLE fan game were brought to an end. Instead of stopping there, the developers started over — and this time, they're building a world of their own.
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Webmastahhh is the creator of Mastanet, a gaming and technology website where he shares news, reviews, guides and personal insights about games, hardware, software and the future of digital entertainment.
