55000 LEGO Universe 55000 LEGO Universe , also called " LEGO Universe : A Massively Multiplayer Online Game " , was a LEGO video game that was released in a Massive Multiplayer Online Game ( MMOG ) format and developed by Netdevil . It was initially scheduled to be released in 2009 , but the LEGO Group pushed its publication date to October 26 , 2010 , due to a redesign forced by the lack of popularity of the game by internal testers . It featured customizable LEGO Minifigures as the controllable characters and LEGO environments as the surroundings . Players were able to build their own objects or vehicles , and display them in the game . LEGO Universe , also known as " LU " by players , launched a free to play version in the summer of 2011 . It allowed players to download and play through the first two worlds of the game , and , for absolutely no cost and no time restrictions . The free trial allowed players to try the game ( without some of the benefits , including chatting ) , and purchase it whenever they felt like ( to get the full experience ) . Low sales was the reason for the formation of a free trial . LEGO Universe was closed on January 30 , 2012 , after failing to meet sales expectations . The game had already incorporated a Ninjago theme , and was planning to undergo an update featuring the Kingdoms theme . However , this content was never seen in - game . Story . The LEGO Universe story begins when four explorers - , , , and - set out to find a source of rare power . They find the Imagination Beam , the long lost essence of pure imagination that could create anything imagined , on a cube - shaped planet called . Hael imagined a pirate ship , Duke imagined a large kingdom , and Dr . Overbuild imagined a robot dog , but the Baron had become chaotic during the long travel and imagined a creature of pure evil . The Imagination Beam creates the monster , but the Baron ' s attempt to rule the universe through chaos failed and the creature dragged him inside the Imagination Beam . The Imagination Beam was corrupted by the Baron ' s evil and mutated into a strong and destructive Maelstrom . Doc Overbuild sealed the Imagination Beam , but the pressure inside Crux made the planet explode . The smaller chunks were colonized but the bigger ones became the locations in the game . The explorers sent a message to all the minifigures to use their creative powers to save imagination . The three remaining explorers founded the factions of , , and the . The faction was founded by the Baron ' s assistant , . Background . Development and production of the game began around 2007 . It was chosen by LEGO to be created through the collaboration of NetDevil , an MMOG ( Massively Multiplayer Online Game ) development team , and the LEGO Group . The game would be the next big step in LEGO gaming , as it would allow countless people , by the thousands , to interact with each other simultaneously in one game . This would also be LEGO ' s first MMOG . The game allowed players to create their own Minifigures and control them with the mouse , touchpad , and / or keyboard . These minifigures could build creations in three ways : Quick Building , where a minifigure can quickly build a pre - determined model ; Modular Building , where a minifigure can build a model by using different pre - built pieces of it ( the pieces have different variations , which allows for many different combinations ) ; and Free Building , where minifigures can use thousands of bricks to create whatever they like . However , Free Building is only allowed on designated properties . The worlds in the game are always evolving , through both monthly patches ( updates ) and the players ' creations . One of the biggest missions for the LEGO Group in this game was to create a safe environment for children , due to LEGO having a large target audience of children . The game allowed players to create , build , quest and socialize together in a safe environment . Using state - of - the - art technologies , chat filters strain out certain profane words and only let words in the game ' s dictionary through . The game had been through an Alpha stage of testing by the employees of LEGO , their families , and the LEGO Kid ' s Inner Circle . These testers had to sign a Declaration of Secrecy to play it , which meant they could not reveal any information about it other than say they were testing it . The game has endured many scraps and countless revisions during closed - BETA testing as well . During the course of production , the LEGO Universe Website has been updated with challenges in the Creation Lab , videos , pictures , news updates , and safety information . There are many different sections of the creation lab , which is still running after LEGO Universe ' s closure . There has also been a promotion on the website in the form of LEGO Pods landing on Earth at LEGO Retail Stores . The Bradford Rant Institute of Cosmis Kinesis ' ( B . R . I . C . K . ) website is dedicated to the LEGO pods , which contain information about the minifigures from LEGO Universe . The website contains several screenshots from the game and a " message " from the minifigures in LEGO Universe . All 7 pods have landed and they contain letters of a message from the minifigures , which has been " deciphered " to mean : " Answer the call to save imagination . " This has evolved into 20 minigames on the LEGO Universe LEGO . com site called " The Great Minifig Mission . " , which revealed story items about the game . The game was officially launched on October 26 , 2010 with early access available for those who pre - ordered the game on October 12 th , 2010 . However , this date was changed to 8th a week before it was ready for founders launch . The pre - order item number 2855133 was changed to 55000 . It was announced on November 4 th , 2011 that it would be shut down on January 31 st , 2012 due to an unsatisfactory revenue model in their target group . This date was later changed to January 30 , 2012 . Factions . Factions are large groups of minifigures , each of which protect the last shard of imagination and push back the Maelstrom in their own ways . They are Assembly , Venture League , Sentinels , and Paradox . Assembly . Assembly - Guided by construction specialist Doc Overbuild , they battle the maelstrom using various creations . The Assembly Faction is the first of the 4 alliances . Their members believe that the act of creation naturally sets back the chaotic destructive nature of the Maelstrom . They are challenged to push the limits of imagination , exploring new styles and new ways of construction . They consider themselves to be the foundation of the Nexus Force . Even though they may not be as brave as the Sentinels or as daring as the Venture League , they are brilliant architects and clever engineers who are highly respected for their skills . Their leader , the eccentric genius Doctor Overbuild , is very intelligent and similar to Albert Einstein . His passion is building and pushing the uses of imagination . He spends months at a time locked in his building laboratory , creating the visions in his head . Assembly members are mainly builders , engineers , architects , mystic summoners , and inventors . Their symbol is an illusional Penrose Triangle . Venture League . Venture League - Space pirate Hael Storm ' s Venture League is a group of explorers who solve mysteries and look for answers . The Venture League is the second faction of the Nexus Force . Its members are a composition of adventurers and explorers who want to get to the bottom of all of the mysteries filling the Universe . Whether it ' s exploring the long - lost civilization of the First Builders or boldly going where no Minifigure has gone before , the Venture League is always the first to discover it . Their leader , the cheerful pirate Hael Storm , has a great sense of humor and is always ready with a wisecrack . He ' s a born problem solver and in times of danger Storm will always rise to the challenge . His specialty is the sea and he is a seasoned explorer of all the oceans in the Universe . Venture league is an adventurous group of Daredevils , Buccaneers , and Adventurers and their symbol is a skull in front of a compass . Sentinels . The Sentinels - Legendary warrior Duke Exeter leads the Sentinels in the fight against the Maelstrom . The Sentinels are the third faction of the Nexus Force and their mission is to protect the weak , defend the good and serve justice to all . Integrity and honor are the core values of their operation and their heroic performance overshadows all evil . Members of the Sentinels are the most powerful Minifigures of the Nexus Force . What they lack in pure imagination , they make up with strength and courageous willpower . They are known and respected as the most honorable warriors in the Universe . Their leader , the charismatic and brave Duke Exeter , is an inspiration to everyone around him . He refuses to compromise his principles , and always finds a way to achieve victory with honor . Always trusting that the right will win , he ' s big on giving everyone second chances and is always prepared to take on challenges . The Sentinels are a group of warriors consisting of Knights , Samurai , and Space Rangers . Their symbol is a bird , possibly a blue eagle . Paradox . Paradox - Ninja warrior Vanda Darkflame leads her group in using the Maelstrom ' s power against itself . Paradox is the fourth faction of the Nexus Force . Paradox members closely study the Maelstrom power in an effort to find the evil within it . They believe that the battlefield is no place for honor and use whatever means are necessary to achieve victory . Paradox has a reputation for being secretive about their operations . They are sneaky in their attacks and highly effective in all their disciplines . Though Paradox has never broken the trust of the other Factions , they are still looked upon suspiciously . Their leader , the mysterious warrior Vanda Darkflame , believes that defeating the Maelstrom requires understanding it and turning its power against it . She is cynical , decisive , and always fights for what she feels is right , no matter what anyone else may think about her methods . Paradox is a group of Space Marauders , Shinobi , and Dark Sorcerers and their symbol is a slanted eye with a spiral behind it like the Paradox Galaxy . Release . The game was released as a DVD , and also as a download from the LEGO Universe Official Website . The cost of the game was based on a subscription model . The packages are US $ 9 . 99 for 1 month , $ 49 . 99 for 6 months ( $ 8 . 35 per month ) , and $ 89 . 99 for 12 months ( $ 7 . 50 per month ) . The North American release date was October 26 , the European release date was October 22 with early access on October 8 for " pioneers " , or " " , those had who pre - ordered the game . Those who pre - ordered the game also received an exclusive astronaut minifigure and an astronaut costume in - game . Pre - Ordering ended on September 27 for North America and on September 23 for Europe . Additional sets . Three promotional sets promoting the game were released so far : Additionally , a guide to the game was released : Contests . During the beta testing and live release of the game , contests were also held with rare and valuable prizes . As well as regular weekly competitions , the Nexus Championships was scheduled to be a lengthy contest in which all LEGO universe members , both free to play and subscription , could participate .