Minecraft won’t allow NFTs and blockchain soon

NFTs and blockchains can provoke either groans or extreme enthusiasm, but Mojang Studios has landed well in the groan camp when it comes to people using the technologies in Minecraft. In a statement posted to the Minecraft site, Mojang said it addressed the community’s concerns about their position on NFTs and the blockchain. Mojang said their stance on the technologies is that “integrations of NFTs with Minecraft in general are not something we will support or allow”.

Minecraft has long been an example of a gaming community where players have equal access to content. However, Mojang believes that NFTs and blockchain can “create models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our policies and the spirit of Minecraft”. They are currently in the process of updating Minecraft’s Usage Guidelines to provide guidance on how new technologies can or cannot be incorporated into the game.

“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not allowed to be integrated into our client and server applications,” Mojang said, “nor Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona elements or other mods , is used by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital resource.”

However, the developer left room to change his mind in the future. “We will also closely monitor how blockchain technology evolves over time to ensure that the above principles are upheld and determine whether it will allow for more secure experiences or other practical and inclusive applications in games,” they said.

Mojang’s anti-NFT and blockchain stance is very different from the positivity of the technologies of other game companies. Square Enix’s president Yosuke Matsuda already revealed in January that he believed the controversial technologies were the future of gaming. The company sold much of its major IP such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex to Embracer Group in May for the relatively small figure of $300 million, saying it would “move forward with investments in fields including blockchain, AI and Sky”.

Minecraft: Java And Bedrock Edition is available to download from the official site for £25/$30/€29. Get up to speed on the latest update with Hayden’s guide to Minecraft 1.19 The Wild.