A little more than an year after introducing Minecraft Earth in the US, Microsoft announced this week that it will end the game later this year. Minecraft Earth players will have until June 30th , 2021, to play the augmented reality title. It's not available to download from the app marketplaces and is not available to download.
Developer Mojang Studios attributed the shutdown to the coronavirus pandemic and the changes to daily life that it has brought with it. "Minecraft Earth was designed to allow playing with no restrictions and in a collaborative manner - two things that have become nearly impossible in the current global situation," the studio said. Mojang like Niantic's Pokemon Go, had modified the game to allow it to be more accessible for players at home. These tweaks clearly weren't enough.
After many exciting adventures, we've taken the difficult decision to shut down Minecraft Earth in June 2021. We are so grateful for your help. Today's final build includes many adjustments to make the final months as fun as we can.
- https://t.co/D9fEGuOoqX - pic.twitter.com/KyHIToSrsI
- Minecraft (@Minecraft) 5 January 2021. If there's a silver lining in this day's news it's that Mojang plans to end Minecraft Earth with style. The studio is rolling out one last update for Minecraft Earth, which it claims contains changes "to make your time in Minecraft Earth enjoyable as possible." Among other tweaks that the update removes with real-money transactions and drastically reduces the amount of time it will take players to create and construct things within the game. dk's blog It also offers players the chance to view all the content that Mojang was working on prior to the announcement today. Mojang has stated that they hope these changes will allow players to play, create, explore and share more, all while staying safe in their homes.
Once June 30th comes and expires, Microsoft will delete player data on July 1st. If you have spent money on Minecraft Earth at any point during the duration of the game, you'll get tokens that allow you to download the Bedrock edition of Minecraft on your mobile device. More information about the shut-down on the Minecraft website.
This is a disappointing conclusion for Minecraft Earth for Microsoft. When we first the game in action at WWDC 2019, it was evident that the company had high expectations for the game. It's not a great indicator for consumers who will be using AR applications in the future that Minecraft Earth was unable to beat the virus with all the resources Microsoft has.
"We're eternally grateful for the amazing talent of the Minecraft community," Mojang said. "This was not an easy decision. We're doing everything we can to ensure that you get the most enjoyment from Minecraft Earth before it goes dark."
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