Summary
- Mojang has committed to releasing Minecraft updates more frequently.
- Rather than introducing one major update each summer, the company will start releasing multiple content drops of varying sizes throughout the year.
- Mojang is retiring the annual Minecraft mob vote in favor of "more focused" Minecraft Live broadcasts that will now happen twice a year.
Mojang is changing the release pace of Minecraft updates in favor of more frequent content drops. This strategy shift was announced as part of a wider overview of the future of the game, which also saw Mojang tease some other changes to its Minecraft development practices.
The hit sandbox game has generally been receiving one major update per year for over half a decade by now. The latest such content drop debuted in June 2024 in the form of Minecraft's Tricky Trials update.
After Tricky Trials, Minecraft Needs to Recommit to One Missing Biome Update
Mojang recently released the new Tricky Trials update in Minecraft, but the developer should next address updating one long-forgotten biome.
Mojang Commits to More Frequent Minecraft Content Updates
Mojang has now decided to shake things up a bit, having just committed to releasing Minecraft updates more frequently moving forward. Rather than having one content drop per year, usually during the summer, the company now plans to space out updates throughout each calendar year. These future releases will "vary in size," Minecraft Head Ryan Cooper wrote in a recent blog post dedicated to the future of the game's development. The executive also said that Mojang had already started experimenting with these smaller releases back in December 2023, when it turned decorated pots into working storage containers and made visual changes to bats. The follow-up April 2024 patch that included wolf variations, wolf armor, and armadillos was another one of these smaller updates that will become the norm moving forward.
Minecraft Multiplayer Improvements Are Coming in the Near Future
Cooper's post also saw the Mojang official confirm that the work on the native PS5 version of Minecraft continues. This port has been available in preview since late June 2024, but still doesn't have a firm release window. Its development is inherently tied to Mojang's ambition to make the game as accessible and platform-agnostic as possible. To that end, the company will also look into ways to improve Minecraft multiplayer and facilitate the process of finding and connecting with friends over the next year, Cooper said.
Mojang Is Retiring Minecraft Mob Vote
Another big change that Mojang just confirmed concerns its handling of community feedback. Specifically, Minecraft's mob vote system is being retired in favor of "more focused" Minecraft Live broadcasts, which will now happen twice a year rather than just in October. The new livestream format will be primarily geared toward showcasing the game's upcoming features, announcing preview builds, and sharing other relevant news.
Cooper said that community suggestions will remain a big influence on the game, as was the case so far. That notwithstanding, it would appear that Mojang currently doesn't have plans to offer a direct replacement for the newly retired mob vote. Instead, the studio will simply keep collecting player suggestions via Minecraft's official feedback website for the time being.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 84%
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!
Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.
Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
- Engine
- LWJGL, PROPRIETARY ENGINE
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Minecraft
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- How Long To Beat
- 129 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.42 GB (August 2024)
