Moving forward, players will need a Microsoft login to play Minecraft Java Edition. It has been about six years since the legendary sandbox game and its developer Mojang were purchased by Microsoft. Microsoft's been doing some remarkable things with the IP since the sale; most recently, it added the game's protagonist Steve to Nintendo's game-blending fighter Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Steve's cameo isn't the only exciting development for Minecraft fans. Earlier this month, Mojang announced the next big expansion to the game in the form of the Caves & Cliffs Update. The update will improve cave generation, introduce new cave biomes and mods, and add adorable axolotls to be encountered in the game's various waterways. The update will also add the long-awaited goats, which were chosen by the community some time ago for inclusion in the game. Players will have to wait a while for this major update to hit the game, but it's definitely something to look forward to.
In the meantime, Minecraft players should expect a bit of bookkeeping in the near future. Java Edition will soon require players to sign in using a Microsoft account, as revealed by an official blog post from Mojang (via VG247). This change is quite a shock for Java players, as that version of the game has always been kept fairly distinct from Microsoft's broader gaming ecosystem. But starting this fall, all new Java players will need to sign up for Minecraft using a Microsoft account instead of a Mojang one, and in early 2021, pre-existing players must swap out their accounts as well or be unable to play Minecraft at all. Mojang swears that the gameplay experience will remain unchanged, and that this move is mostly just to make bookkeeping easier. It will also improve security by offering players two-factor authentication, and make it easier for parents to use the game's new social interactions screen to block abusive and hateful chat being directed at their children.
Fans are sure to be wary of this announcement, and with good reason. In the past, big parent companies forcing gamers to integrate into their systems hasn't gone well. For instance, Oculus announced recently that all users of its VR systems would need to sign in through Facebook, a development that sparked widespread rage throughout the gaming community. Following the launch of its Quest 2 headset, numerous fans had their accounts shut down permanently, preventing them from playing VR at all. When it comes to the Minecraft move, many are worried that this is the start of a slippery slope, and that before too long Mojang will phase out Java permanently.
Minecraft remains the single best-selling video game of all time, and its fan base remains immense. If Mojang screws up this new development, it will have a lot to answer for. Better account security is certainly a positive, but it remains to be seen if two-factor authentication is worth the trouble of migrating everyone's Minecraft experience to Microsoft.
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