Just over a year after launching Minecraft Earth in the US, Microsoft announced this week it will shut down the game later in the year. Minecraft Earth players will have until June 30th , 2021 to play the augmented reality title. It's no longer available for download from the app marketplaces and isn't available for purchase.
Developer Mojang Studios attributed the shutdown to the coronavirus epidemic and the changes to daily life that it has brought with it. Mojang Studios stated that Minecraft Earth was built around the concept of free movement and collaborative play. Similar to Niantic with Pokemon Go, Mojang had modified the game to make it more accessible to play at home. These tweaks clearly weren't enough.
After many amazing adventures, we've taken the difficult decision to close Minecraft Minecraft Earth in June 2021. We're thankful for your continued support. The final build today contains a variety of changes to make the final months as enjoyable as possible.
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- Minecraft (@Minecraft), January 5, 2021. But there's some good news in the news of today: Mojang plans on presenting Minecraft Earth in style. The studio has released a final update for Minecraft Earth. It contains modifications that "make your time in Minecraft Earth more enjoyable." This update also removes real-money transactions and drastically reduces the time it takes for players to build and craft items within the game. It also lets players access all the content Mojang was working with before today's announcement. Mojang said that they hope these changes will allow players to explore, craft, build and share more, all while staying safe inside.
Once June 30th comes and goes, Microsoft will delete player data on July 1st. wanna talk about minecraft You'll receive a token if you make purchases in Minecraft Earth during the game's duration. This token will allow you to download the Bedrock version of Minecraft on your phone. More information about the shutdown can be found on the Minecraft website.
This is a disappointing ending for Minecraft Earth for Microsoft. When we first saw the game in action at WWDC 2019 it was evident that the company was optimistic about the game. It's not a great sign for consumer AR applications in the near future that Minecraft Earth was unable to beat the virus with all of Microsoft’s resources.
Mojang said that they will always be grateful for the incredible talent of the Minecraft community. "This was not an easy decision and we're doing everything we can to ensure you get the most enjoyment of Minecraft Earth before it sunsets."
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