Minecraft is a highly customizable game room with many different third-party expansions that add even more to its mechanics and features. So it comes as no surprise that Minecraft the community has produced thousands of mods since the game’s release. This includes blockchain and NFT-based add-ons.
However, Mojang recently released a statement regarding the inclusion of NFTs in the Minecraft. A recent post on the game’s official website describes it explicitly Minecraft will not support NFT integrations in the gaming area. This poses a problem for all NFT-based Minecraft expansions, especially NFT Worlds.
NFT Worlds explained
NFT Worlds isn’t exactly a mod in the traditional sense. It is better described as an extension of Minecraft’s existing mechanics that allow blockchain integration and NFT trading. More specifically, the project produced 10,000 different ones Minecraft worlds, and each one is an NFT that can be built upon and customized.
The team behind NFT Worlds decided to build an NFT room in and around it Minecraft because the game in its current state is easily accessible and highly customizable. Thus, the developer would have a strong baseline to work with, primarily Minecraft’s pre-existing features, and then build from there. Many in the NFT community praised the team for its innovation since NFT Minecraft worlds opened up many opportunities for traders, especially in light of the recent decline in NFT sales.
Migrating NFT Space from Minecraft
However, this will soon stop after Mojang’s recent statement about Minecraft and NFTs. It says that while Minecraft Usage guidelines allow server owners to charge other players for access, said access must include the same features. Implementing NFTs in the gaming space would conflict with this requirement because NFTs thrive on artificial scarcity.
In other words, Minecraft NFTs will inevitably lead to unequal access among Minecraft player base. According to Mojang, “…NFTs and other blockchain technologies [create] digital ownership based on scarcity and exclusion, which is inconsistent with the Minecraft values of creative inclusion and playing together.” Mojang also notes that the mentality surrounding NFTs distracts players from the long-term enjoyment of the game, as they can instead focus on to monetize the play-to-win mechanics Towards the end of the statement, Mojang explicitly states that blockchain technology and NFT integration will not be allowed within Minecraft.
This new rule creates problems for NFT Worlds and other similar programs as they will no longer be allowed to piggyback on Mojang’s IP. However, NFT Worlds has since released its own statement in response. The team intends to build a new game from the ground up. It will reportedly have the core mechanics of it Minecraft but with “modernization and active development” that the original sandbox game lacks. The statement then goes into how this is a battle between Web2 and Web3, describing a “philosophical conflict” about what the Internet really is.
And as compelling as the NFT Worlds statement sounds, it’s honestly not that surprising that Mojang would rather divest themselves of a product as volatile as NFTs – and that’s not to mention the many scams and controversies associated with NFTs – area. Equally unsurprising is the notion that game developers will resent it when third-party companies use their IP to make money in a way that violates the guidelines.
Either way, it looks like NFT Worlds’ migration to the new game is underway, and the age of Minecraft NFTs are coming to an end. It remains to be seen if Mojang’s guidelines will change, but for now, no blockchain and no NFTs will be allowed.
Minecraft is now available for mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
