Minecraft 2 ‘Basically Announced’ By Original Creator, But There’s a Catch

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Summary

  • Minecraft’s original creator, Markus Persson, plans to develop a spiritual successor.
  • Persson sold Mojang and the Minecraft IP to Microsoft in 2014, preventing an official sequel unless developed under Microsoft.
  • The developer says he “basically announced” Minecraft 2, but it will have a completely different name and be a spiritual successor to the original game.

As a dedicated fan who has spent countless hours mining, crafting, and exploring the pixelated world of Minecraft, the news that Notch, the game’s original creator, plans to develop a spiritual successor is beyond exhilarating!

The memories I have of playing Minecraft back in its early days are some of my fondest gaming experiences. The freedom it offered was unparalleled, and the community that sprung up around it was like no other. So, hearing Notch hint at a spiritual successor brings back those nostalgic feelings and fills me with anticipation for what’s to come.

I can only imagine the innovative ideas and unique features this new game will have, given Notch’s genius mind and the lessons he’s learned from the development of Minecraft. I’m excited to see how he blends traditional roguelike elements with tile-based first-person dungeon crawler features in a way that feels fresh yet familiar.

That being said, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness knowing that Microsoft owns the rights to Minecraft and its IP. However, I take solace in the fact that Notch has stated it will have a completely different name and act as a spiritual successor rather than an official sequel.

On a lighter note, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if Notch were to release his new game on a certain platform that starts with an ‘S’ and ends with an ‘tem’. Microsoft might just have a little competition on their hands! Let’s hope they don’t try to block the launch with some sort of “EULA” or “ToS” issue.

Markus “Notch” Persson, famous for inventing Minecraft, revealed intentions to build a game similar in spirit. In 2014, when his company Mojang was bought by Microsoft, the rights to Minecraft were transferred. As a result, Notch can’t make an official sequel, but he intends to create a game with a similar essence under a new title.

In 2009, Minecraft started gaining popularity after its alpha launch, and it officially launched version 1.0 in 2011. This indie game soon became one of the most successful ever made, leading to Microsoft purchasing Mojang for a whopping $2.5 billion in 2014. Under Microsoft’s ownership, Minecraft continues to receive regular updates and now holds the title as the best-selling video game in history, with over 300 million copies sold by 2023. Despite being updated frequently, a sequel to Minecraft seemed highly improbable – until recently.

Original Minecraft Creator Announces Spiritual Successor

In his latest Twitter update, Notch posed a question to his followers, asking if they’d prefer him to carry on with his new project that combines roguelike and tile-based dungeon crawler aspects, or create a successor to the iconic game Minecraft. Currently, over 220,000 votes lean towards “Minecraft 2,” as it garners 77.4% of the support. Notch later confirmed that he was indeed referring to Minecraft 2 when a fan inquired about his intentions, stating, “I essentially announced Minecraft 2.”

Following Microsoft’s 2014 acquisition of Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, they obtained legal control over the intellectual property (IP). As a result, any sequel to Minecraft can only be developed with Microsoft’s consent. This understanding appears to be shared by Notch, as when asked if creating a Minecraft sequel was even possible, he replied, “No, it would be extremely illegal.” Notch clarified that this hypothetical game would be an entirely new creation with a distinct title, but it would share similarities with Minecraft in spirit rather than name or storyline. He also mentioned that it would introduce new stories (or lore) and have no connection to Minecraft’s existing lore.

Many other games have tried to capture the essence of Minecraft, yet only a handful have achieved that feat. Notch, who is the game’s original creator, departed from Mojang after selling the company to Microsoft, which means it has been more than 10 years since he last contributed to the game. It would be intriguing to observe what changes and developments the original Minecraft creator might have introduced in the game if he had continued working at the studio for another decade.

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2025-01-04 17:45