The Life and Death of SMP Earth: A Retrospective on the Iconic Geopolitical Minecraft Server
SMP Earth burst onto the scene in late 2019, instantly captivating millions of viewers on YouTube and Twitch. The experimental geopolitical server paired a fully functioning 1:3000 scale map of Earth with over 60 renowned gaming creators each managing a designated country. Over 142 chaotic days, the rises and falls of SMP Earth have become the stuff of legend. This is the story behind one of Minecraft‘s most iconic servers ever.
The Rapid Emergence of Dominant Factions
Within the first week, clear power blocs began crystallizing. The Antarctic Empire founded by PVP maestro Technoblade utilised ruthless expansionist tactics to swell from an obscure beginning to absorbing nearly 35% of global landmass under its control at its apex. The empire’s peak strength numbered over 300,000 subscribers from Technoblade and Philza‘s channels alone tuning in daily.
Another juggernaut faction was the loose NATO-like GUIG (Grand Unified International Group) coalition formed to counterbalance the Empire’s rapid ascent. With pillars likepokimane’s Canada, Wilbur Soot’s UK, and JackSucksAtLife’s Ireland, GUIG encompassed up to 16 countries and 160 million potential viewers. Despite cooperation early on, mounting tensions over values and direction soon fractured the alliance.
Factions like PewDiePie’s Coca Cola company also saw meteoric rises on the back of its sole member’s 103 million strong subscriber army cheerleading its leader’s conquests across Europe and Africa. By measuring faction strengths through consolidated viewer counts, the potential ceilings for influence became astounding.
Warfare Leaving Permanent Scars
The ubiquitous warfare inevitably left lasting marks on the server land and community. On Day 84, Jschlatt delivered a finishing blow to a battered PewDiePie by dropping 64 nuclear warheads on Sweden, devastating the landscape and structures. Pewds was controversially allowed to restore Sweden from a 2-week-old backup after appealing to admins.
CallMeCarson’s Guyana also suffered a cruel fate – after its leader was permanently banned for exploiting on Day 65, the nation was left defenseless and squandered. Canada soon invaded and griefed Guyana’s structures beyond repair including Carson’s White House centrepiece.
Further extensive examples of bombing campaigns and missile attacks devastating entire continents permeate SMP Earth’s history. Africa’s landscape was left virtually unrecognizable after a Spanish bombing spree. Australia saw mass drainage of rivers and fires leaving endless terrain burned and charred. Admin abilities to reverse destruction were the only ubiquitous saving grace.
Bans That Caused Political Upheaval
The most globally impactful set of bannings occurred on Day 65 when CallMeCarson and his two Guyanese cabinet members were caught red-handed exploiting server mechanics for personal gain. Email and voice records showed unambiguous exchanges between the trio conspiring to activate illegal mods and influence power dynamics through illegitimate means.
The permanent bans immediately threw Guyana into turmoil – citizens fled, buildings were pillaged, and remaining loyalists struggled to maintain order. Canada seized the power vacuum soon after, storming Guyana’s regions and desecrating Carson’s prized White House build which took weeks to construct initially. These actions delivered the final death blow to Guyana as a functioning country.
The scandal rocked the entire server, causing factions and alliances Carson was involved in like GUIG to instantly distance themselves from association with cheaters. It catalyzed the sentiment that if rules did not apply evenly across the board, the experiment would be rendered meaningless. This cycle repeated itself on a smaller scale with xQc’s ban later down the line.
The Bittersweet Finale to a Memorable Server
On April 11, 2020, after an extraordinary 142 day run, the server officially shut down forever as originally scheduled. The host Chip held impromptu ending ceremonies on the server for fans and creators to pay their last respects together. Impromptu PVP battles broke out in the final minutes before maps saved one last time for posterity.
SMP Earth’s outsized legacy continues being a key reference point among gaming circles to this day. It combined geopolitical simulation mechanics with personalities comprising over 300 million collective subscribers, fostering deep connections with fans. Amassing well over 600 million lifetime views on participating creators‘ SMP Earth videos, the server with all its wild ups and downs ultimately achieved what it set out to.
