Plus Minecraft Live going twice-yearly.
Image credit: Mojang/Microsoft
Developer Mojang has unveiled changes to Minecraft’s content release schedule that’ll see the blockbusting sandbox adventure trade its traditional single summer update for multiple content drops throughout the year. And that’s on top of the end for mob votes and more.
In a blog post outlining the future of Minecraft’s development, Mojang said its new release model is designed to satisfying players’ desires for “new Minecraft content more often”, and will see content drops of varying sizes releasing “more frequently” each year. It also revealed it’s been trialing the approach for a while, pointing to a December 2023 update that turned pots into functional storage containers and made visual changes to bats, as well as this April’s Armored Paws update, which introduced armadillos, wolf variations, and wolf armour.
Alongside more regular content releases for Minecraft, Mojang said it’s been focusing on “long-term initiatives to ensure we can continue to evolve [the game] long into the future”. The developer also referenced its continuing work on a native PlayStation 5 release (a test build has been available to players since June), but didn’t reveal when a full version might finally arrive. It did, though, say it plans to explore ways to improve Minecraft’s multiplayer experience over the coming year, making it easier to find and connect with friends.
Something else set to receive a bit of a shake-up is Minecraft Live – Mojang’s livestream celebration of Minecraft. This is shifting from an annual event to a twice-yearly stream, with both shows detailing “the latest features we’re working on, what’s coming into testing, and the newest news from across the Minecraft franchise”. Mojang is also retiring Minecraft Live’s increasingly controversial mob vote.
“We are excited for a future of Minecraft in which we get to share more features with you more regularly,” the studio concluded, “and in which your suggestions continue to become a reality. We hope you’ll join us for another fifteen years – and hopefully, even more.”
In other news, Warner Bros. Pictures recently shared a first – and not especially promising – look at its live-action movie adaptation of Minecraft, due to arrive in cinemas on 4th April next year.
