Since its launch in 2011, the open-world survival sandbox gameMinecrafthas seen immense success. This is in part due to the fact that the game is consistently beingupdated with new biomes, mobs, and toolsin order to keep everything feeling fresh, though these updates are not always what the player base wants.
In addition to the originalMinecraft, Mojang has released spin-offs likeMinecraft Story ModeandMinecraft Dungeons,a point-and-click dungeon crawler with a story campaign that received mixed reviews. Following the confirmation of another game,Minecraft Legends,that is set to join the growing franchise in 2023, some fans are wondering if the developer should be focusing more of its attention on creating more in-game modes for the original gamerather than spin-offs.
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Mojang Should Step Out of its Comfort Zone
While it’s true that a great deal ofMinecraft’scharm is in its simplicity, some people believe that if Mojang wishes to retain its players or usher in new ones, it must be willing to make changes and adapt to the new gaming world. A few players have expressed their opinions that it seemsMojang is only interested in pushing out scheduled updatesthat don’t truly bring anything new to the game other than cosmetic value.
At the moment, players seem to be growing stronger without any real challenges to face,as any additionalMinecraftmobsmay feel like re-skinned versions of previous ones, and others are simply meant to be aesthetically cute. Most new additions assist players who love to build, but don’t really serve any other purpose.
Mojang seems to know exactly what it is that makesMinecrafta great game, but may be too reluctant to take any genuine risks that could alienate active players. In circumstances likeFortnite, the Battle Royale understood exactly how to bring more interest to the game by including crossover skins,a Zero Build mode, and countless other options. WhileMinecraftadding Darth Vader, helicopters, or cars feels could feel inherently wrong for some, the developer should still consider taking a page out of Epic Games' book in becoming more versatile.
Minecraft Needs New Modes
Spin-offs likeMinecraft DungeonsorMinecraft Legendsdon’t necessarily need to be halted, but Mojang should realize that its first game needs more attention than it’s getting. Imagination and creative freedom from its users have managed to take the company this far, but some of its players are getting restless in a way that installing mods may not fully satisfy. This issue could be easily solved by adding quality in-game options with more RPG-like elements or even borrowing from popular community mods.
For those that wantMinecraftto stay true to its roots, Mojang could still keep a classic mode that contains the option to play the game as it currently stands. It could be truly engaging ifMinecraftdecided to dig deeper into its own lore, which is presumably quite vast but over a decade after the game’s release still feels largely unexplored. There already exists a Lore Expansion mod from two talented fans, but there haven’t been any updates in over a year. Also, anything written by fans is clearly not canonical.
Alternatively,Minecraftcould take on a similar approach toTerraria’sRPG elements, though it should offer this in select in-game modes. Spin-off titles aren’t necessarily a problem, but Mojang needs to focus on more than just adding new biomes and cosmetic additions that don’t really add anything new. Perhapsafter the 1.20 update this November, Mojang will announce new modes for its faithful player base.
Minecraftis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
