Minecraft remains as popular as ever as sales have now exceeded 200 million.
The renewed interest for Mojang Studio’s flagship title comes 11 years after its inception in May 2009. According to an announcement from Microsoft, Minecraft is at more than 200 million copies sold.
The game received more than 20 million copies sold since last year. It also keeps a steady player base of 126 million players monthly. For years, news of Minecraft’s slow demise since its Microsoft acquisition in 2014. Even then, MSFT and Mojang did their best to keep the game alive with many different spinoffs.
Mojang Studios keeping their open-world game alive with spin-offs
Mojang recently rebranded itself into Mojang Studios and are gearing for a future beyond their open-world block game. Even then, the rebrand does not mean the team is leaving the game alone.
According to studio head Helen Chiang, Minecraft Earth is now out of the way and they are also showing excitement for Minecraft Dungeons. Dungeons will come out May 26 and will come out with the base game’s Nether Update.
In March, the company released Minecraft: Education Edition free for educators. This move is in response to the outbreak of the current global pandemic.
Last year, the game hit the 176 million mark during its 10th anniversary. With 200 million today, Mojang Studios generated as much as 24 million copies sold in a year.
The 126 million players per month likely include its Chinese free-to-play version. The game boasts as much as 300 million players from the region in 2019.
Crafters still watch, play, and build on MC
What makes Minecraft so long-lasting is its multi-generation appeal. The game works for children due to its cartoony aesthetics and its open-world. For adults, the multiplayer and competitive aspect helps them create interesting builds.
When players are not playing MC, they’re likely watching videos like Let’s Plays. The game is the most-watched game on Youtube, garnering 100+ billion views in 2019. Fortnite, its distant competitor, is only at 60+ billion views last year.
The game is staying alive because of many factors outside Mojang and Microsoft too. The modding community around the game is more active than ever, especially with Bedrock and Pocket Edition receiving support.
The game still has a very active community that shares in-game builds. Players are also still finding ways to create more competitive gameplay with MC.
The addition of RTX to Minecraft this year also breathed new life and updated aesthetics into the open-world game. The game’s frequent updates also extend its life much further.
Images courtesy of Mojang Studios/Youtube Screenshots