Minecraft Earth Only Has A Few Months Left
Minecraft Earth is an augmented reality sandbox game that was developed by Mojang Studios. The title was released in 2019 and followed in the wake of the successful Pokemon Go. Minecraft Earth took some big steps to ensure that players had a familar Minecraft experience in the real world. Using the power of AR, players were able to break blocks, build to their heart's content, and collect various exclusive mobs. Sadly, Minecraft Earth will cease operation in June 2021.
Minecraft Earth was designed with the idea of free movement and collaborative play in mind. The current COVID pandemic has greatly hindered the original concept of the mobile game. The pandemic has forced individuals to isolate themselves and stay indoors. Free movement and collaborative play have essentially become impossible. Because of this, the team behind Minecraft Earth has decided to shift its efforts to other areas for the Minecraft community.
According to a post from the Minecraft website, the game will still receive one final update. Several changes are being implemented with the player in mind and Minecraft Earth will attempt to make its final months as fun as possible. These in-game adjustments are intended to make playing Minecraft Earth more feasible while still staying safe indoors.
Mojang Studios will be removing real money transactions from Minecraft Earth. It will also be including all completed and unreleased content. For players who love to build, the company will be reducing the crafting and smelting time — a nice little addition considering some rare craftable items could take as long as eight hours to craft. But most importantly, the studio is giving a set of Character Creator items to players who log in between Jan. 5 and June 30.
The studio will continue running its services until June 30, after which it will discontinue all available content. The game will no longer be available for download, and players will no longer be able to sign into the game. On July 1, Minecraft Earth will delete all player data unrelated to Character Creator and Minecoin entitlements. This means that any players with in-game ruby balances will be granted Minecoins to spend in the Minecraft Marketplace.
It is sad to see Minecraft Earth leave so soon, considering what a unique take the game had on augmented reality gameplay. Luckily, any player that has made a purchase on Minecraft Earth will also be receiving a free copy of the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft to keep their adventures rolling.