Is Minecraft Earth coming back? No.
Let‘s be absolutely clear – Minecraft Earth is never coming back. The innovative augmented reality (AR) mobile game officially shut down on June 30, 2021 with no plans to return. After initial hype and promising early reception, Minecraft Earth stumbled when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted its vision for outdoor exploration and collaborative play. With global stay-at-home orders in 2020, the writing was on the wall for this location-based AR experiment. Developer Mojang pulled the plug in summer 2021, removing all official content and support. So why examine this failed Minecraft spinoff nearly two years later? Read on to learn the inside story of Minecraft Earth‘s dramatic rise and fall.
What Was Minecraft Earth?
Released in late 2019, Minecraft Earth aimed to bring the creative sandbox gameplay of Minecraft into the real world. Using mobile devices, players could build structures and mobs tied to fixed real-world coordinates as persistent augmented reality objects visible through the camera view. Special points of interest and adventures dotted the landscape to discover resources and unique crafting recipes. At its peak in mid-2020, over 140 million builds reportedly populated Minecraft Earth globally.
The vision was an ambitious evolution of 2016 phenomeon Pokémon GO – get outside and explore using AR technology. But rather than chase digital creatures, players collaborated to construct a shared, hybrid digital/physical world overlaying their own neighborhoods and cities. Early reception was positive, although the experience remained geographically limited.
Why Did Minecraft Earth Fail?
Within a year of launch, Minecraft Earth fell victim to unfortunate timing as the COVID-19 pandemic surged globally. Stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines disrupted daily life worldwide throughout 2020, limiting opportunities for outdoor exploration or group gameplay central to Minecraft Earth.
In January 2021, developer Mojang announced their decision to end Minecraft Earth, citing the ongoing situation:
“Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play – two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation.”
Mojang attempted to adjust the experience to accommodate individual indoor play, but engagement dropped off. Servers shut down permanently months later on what Mojang called a “sad day” for a project that never fulfilled its vision.
Minecraft Earth Shutdown Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 5, 2021 | Minecraft Earth shutdown announced by Mojang |
| June 30, 2021 | Official discontinuation of game |
Lessons from Minecraft Earth
While well-designed, Minecraft Earth relied on the ability to freely and safely explore public spaces. The sudden changes to daily life imposed by COVID-19 ultimately doomed its original premise. Minecraft Earth demonstrates the risk for location-based AR mobile games dependent on factors outside developer control. No amount of quality content can overcome global external events impacting core gameplay loops.
Minecraft Earth also faced stiff competition in the AR gaming space, with similarly ambitious titles shut down shortly before or after:
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (launched 2019, closed 2022)
- The Walking Dead: Our World (launched 2018, closed 2023)
These closures reveal how AR mobile gaming still struggles achieving sustainable mainstream success and retention. Challenges around device capabilities, environment dynamics, real-time rendering, user experience friction, and compelling emergent gameplay persist. Minecraft Earth contributes an important lesson – an innovative concept failing due to situational disruption rather than design flaws.
Can Hybrid Reality Gaming Rebound?
While their shutdowns represented a setback for augmented reality gaming ambitions, promising projects continue pushing the space forward across startups and established players. Scan your surroundings today in spaces like Roblox and you’ll see virtual words overlapping reality. And lessons from Minecraft Earth won‘t be forgotten as developers better understand the technology and environment needed to power hybrid experiences.
The next generation growing up with AR-capable devices baked into daily life expect these blurred lines between domains. And post-pandemic norms suggest a return to increased mobility and social connection crucial for emergent AR gameplay mechanisms to work.
Minecraft Earth won‘t be coming back, but its bold experiment should inspire those aiming to bridge atoms and bits in innovative ways for memorable interactive experiences out in the world.
