Minecraft is a media franchise based on the video game of the same name. The franchise is developed by Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios, which are owned by Microsoft Corporation. It includes five video games, books, merchandise, events, board games, and a theatrical film. In 2014, Microsoft acquired Mojang AB, along with the Minecraft game and its editions.

Minecraft

Minecraft is a 3D survival sandbox game created by Mojang Studios and owned by Microsoft. It is available on many different platforms. The game was first made by independent developer Markus Persson in 2009. In 2011, after the game reached its full 1.0 version, development was handed to Jens Bergensten. The game does not have specific goals, giving players many choices about how to play. Gameplay is viewed from the player's perspective, with two main modes: survival and creative. In survival mode, players gather resources to build and stay alive, with an optional "hardcore" setting that erases the world if the player dies. In creative mode, players have unlimited resources, no hunger, and can fly. The game world is made up of small cubes called voxels, which represent materials like dirt, stone, water, and lava. These voxels are arranged in a 3D grid. Players can pick up and place these blocks freely while moving around the world.

Spin-off games

Minecraft: Story Mode is a game with episodes created by Telltale Games and Mojang. It was announced in December 2014. The game has five main episodes and three extra episodes that can be downloaded. It was released on October 13, 2015, for computers, Macs, iPhones, and several gaming consoles. A physical version for the same consoles was released on October 27. Versions for Wii U and Nintendo Switch became available in 2017. From late 2018 to December 5, 2022, the first five episodes were available on Netflix. The first video showing the game was shown at Minecon on July 4, 2015. In Minecraft: Story Mode, players control a character named Jesse (voiced by Patton Oswalt and Catherine Taber), who travels with friends to find a group of adventurers who defeated an Ender Dragon to save their world. Other characters are voiced by Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Dave Fennoy, Corey Feldman, Billy West, and Paul Reubens.

The second season of the game was released from July to December 2017. It continued the story from the first season, and players' choices affected the story in Season Two. Patton Oswalt, Catherine Taber, Ashley Johnson, and Scott Porter continued their roles in the new season. The game included a feature called Crowd Play, which allowed up to 2,000 people to vote on decisions during live streams. The game and its second season were shut down on June 25, 2019.

Minecraft Earth was an augmented reality game created by Mojang Studios and published by Xbox Game Studios. It was a different version of Minecraft and was first announced in May 2019. It was available on Android, iOS, and iPadOS. Players could build Minecraft-style structures in the real world, and others could see and change them. The game had a beta version in July 2019 and was free to play, released in October 2019. It was shut down on June 30, 2021. Players who bought items in the game received a free copy of the Bedrock Edition.

Minecraft Dungeons is a game where players explore dungeons and fight enemies. It was developed by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It was released in May 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, computers, and Xbox One. The game had mixed reviews. Some players liked its visuals and music, but others thought the gameplay was too simple and the story was not deep enough. The game uses an isometric view, and players fight enemies, solve puzzles, and find treasure in both randomly generated and hand-designed dungeons. In early 2021, Mojang announced an arcade version of Minecraft Dungeons with collectible cards.

Minecraft Legends is an action-strategy game developed by Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive. It was announced on June 12, 2022, and released on April 18, 2023. The game stopped receiving updates on January 10, 2024.

Minecraft Blast is a mobile puzzle game made by Mojang Studios and King. The game is similar to match-three games like Candy Crush Saga. Players match blocks to clear them and create chain reactions. Outside of levels, players can build a base using items bought with in-game money. As of November 2025, the game is available only on iOS in Malaysia and Canada as a soft launch.

Minecraft Dungeons II, a sequel to Minecraft Dungeons, was announced on March 21, 2026. It is expected to be released in 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S.

Films

Minecraft: The Story of Mojang is a 2012 documentary film made by 2 Player Productions and directed by Paul Owens. It shows the first year of Mojang, a company started by game designer Markus "Notch" Persson, and the creation and release of his game Minecraft. The film includes interviews with well-known game designers, online personalities connected to Minecraft, and fans who enjoy the game.

2 Player Productions, known for their 2008 documentary Reformat the Planet and work with Penny Arcade, originally wanted to make short videos about different video games. Instead, they chose to create a full-length film about Minecraft. The film was announced in January 2011 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $210,000, one of the largest campaigns on the platform at that time. Production took about two years in Europe and North America, following events at Mojang and key moments in Minecraft’s development. The music for the film was composed by C418, who included it in his album One.

The documentary first appeared on Xbox Live on December 22, 2012. It was available for download and streaming the next day by 2 Player Productions, with Fangamer handling the DVD release. The film received good reviews for its style, emotional impact, charm, and value to fans, though some critics said it lacked depth in storytelling. 2 Player Productions also shared the film on the Pirate Bay, but asked people to buy it instead. The company later posted the documentary on YouTube in November 2013, and it was shown on television in March 2015 on Fusion TV.

In 2012, Mojang received offers from Hollywood producers to make Minecraft-related TV shows. However, Mojang said they would only consider such projects if the right idea came along. In February 2014, Persson said Mojang was discussing a movie with Warner Bros. Pictures, to be made by Roy Lee and Jill Messick. In October 2014, Mojang’s CEO, Vu Bui, said the movie was “in its early days of development” and might not be released until 2018. That month, Warner Bros. hired Shawn Levy to direct the film, but in December, Levy and writers Kieran and Michele Mulroney left the project.

In July 2015, Warner Bros. hired Rob McElhenney to direct the film. McElhenney said he was interested in the game’s open-world design, and Warner Bros. gave him a preliminary budget of $150 million. In 2016, early work on the film began, including setting a release date of May 24, 2019, hiring Jason Fuchs to write the script, and casting Steve Carell to voice an unknown character. However, McElhenney’s project “slowly died on the vine” due to scheduling issues, and he left in August 2018. Aaron and Adam Nee were asked to rewrite the script, and the film was delayed. No new director was announced at that time.

In January 2019, Peter Sollett was announced as the new writer and director, with a story different from McElhenney’s version. Jill Messick, who died in 2018, would be credited as a producer after her death. In April 2019, Warner Bros. planned to release the film in theaters on March 4, 2022. In June 2019, Allison Schroeder was hired to write the script and co-write the film with Sollett. In October 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused Warner Bros. to change its release schedule, including removing the Minecraft film from its planned date.

Sollett instead directed Metal Lords, which was released on Netflix in April 2022. That same month, production on the Minecraft film continued without Sollett and Schroeder, with Jared Hess set to direct and Jason Momoa in early talks to star. The film was confirmed to be live action. Some sources said Chris Bowman and Hubbel Palmer would rewrite the script. In early April 2023, it was reported the film would release on April 4, 2025. In May 2023, Matt Berry entered negotiations to join the cast. On June 19, 2023, it was reported that principal photography would start on August 7, 2023, in New Zealand, but filming was delayed in July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. After the strike ended in early November 2023, filming was planned to start in early 2024. Later that month, Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen joined the cast as Dawn and Henry, and filming was scheduled to begin in late December 2023. In early December 2023, Emma Myers also joined the cast. In early January 2024, Jack Black was cast as Steve, sharing news on his Instagram account. The film’s first teaser trailer was released on September 4, 2024, and received mixed reactions. A sequel is planned for July 23, 2027.

Animated series

In May 2024, during the 15th anniversary of the first Minecraft version, it was announced that an animated series based on the video game franchise was being produced by WildBrain and Mojang. Flying Bark Productions is providing animation services for the series. The series has an original story with new characters and presents the Minecraft world in a new way. It is set to be released on Netflix, but the exact date has not been shared.

Tabletop games

Three official tabletop games related to Minecraft have been created. The first two are card games: Minecraft Card Game, made by Mattel in 2015, and Uno Minecraft, also made by Mattel in 2016.

In late 2019, a board game called Minecraft: Builders & Biomes was introduced. This game is designed for families and plays with 2 to 4 players. It was published by Ravensburger. Players explore the Overworld, build structures, and gather resources to earn the most points. In late 2020, an expansion for the game was released. The expansion, titled Minecraft: Farmer's Market Expansion, added a new farm biome where players could grow vegetables.

Merchandise

The first Lego set based on Minecraft was released on June 6, 2012. This set, named "Micro World," focuses on a small model of a forest from the game. It includes Lego versions of the game's default player character and a creeper. In December 2011, Mojang shared the idea of Minecraft merchandise with Lego through the Lego Cuusoo program. The idea quickly received 10,000 votes from users, leading Lego to consider it further. Lego Cuusoo approved the concept in January 2012 and started creating Minecraft-themed sets. Two additional sets, based on the Nether and village areas of the game, were released on September 1, 2013. A fourth "Micro World" set, called "The End," came out in June 2014. In November 2014, six larger Lego sets, designed for minifigure scale, became available. More sets have been released each year since then.

Mojang frequently works with Jinx, an online store for game merchandise, to sell items like clothing, foam pickaxes, and toys of creatures from Minecraft. By May 2012, over $1 million was earned from Minecraft merchandise sales. T-shirts and socks were the most popular items. In March 2013, Mojang partnered with the Egmont Group, a children's book publisher, to create Minecraft handbooks, annuals, poster books, and magazines. Amiibo figurines of the characters Steve and Alex were released in September 2022. These figurines work with the video game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In 2021, Australia Post created a Minecraft-themed postage stamp collection. In late 2024, an Australian dairy company named Norco launched a line of flavored milks as part of a shared goal to "build a better world." Minecraft content is planned for release as part of the DLC season pass for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.

Events

MineCon (officially named "MineCon" or "MINECON") is an official event focused on the game Minecraft. The first MineCon was held in November 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. All 4,500 tickets for MineCon 2011 were sold out by October 31. The event included the official release of Minecraft, speeches by important figures such as Persson, building and costume competitions, Minecraft-themed workshops, displays by top gaming and Minecraft-related companies, special items for sale, and opportunities to meet Mojang employees and well-known Minecraft community members. After MineCon, there was an after-party called "Into The Nether" featuring the musician deadmau5. Attendees received free codes to access alpha versions of Mojang's Scrolls and a separate game called Cobalt, created by Oxeye Game Studios.

Similar events took place in 2012, when MineCon was held in Disneyland Paris in November. Tickets for the 2012 event sold out in less than two hours. MineCon 2013 was held in Orlando in November. MineCon 2015 was held in London in July. MineCon 2016 was held in Anaheim in September. In 2017, MineCon was broadcast as a livestream instead of being held in person. This event, titled "MINECON Earth," took place in November.

MineCon Earth 2018 followed the same livestream format as the 2017 event. In 2019, the event was renamed "MINECON Live" to avoid confusion with Mojang's augmented-reality game, Minecraft Earth.

At MINECON Live 2019, Mojang announced Minecraft Festival, an in-person event planned for September 25–27, 2020, in Orlando, Florida. The event was later delayed indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On September 3, 2020, Mojang announced a new livestreamed event to replace the postponed Minecraft Festival. This event took place on October 3, 2020, and showed features from Minecraft's "Caves and Cliffs" update. The second Minecraft Live event happened on October 16, 2021, and included more details about the "Caves and Cliffs" Part 2 update, as well as new features from the Wild Update. The third Minecraft Live event occurred on October 15, 2022, and shared more information about the Wild Update and the then-unnamed next update.

Notable achievements

The Minecraft franchise includes many different types of content. In late 2021, Minecraft videos on YouTube reached 1 trillion views. The video game Minecraft is the best-selling video game ever, selling more than 300 million copies. It has sold more copies than Tetris and Grand Theft Auto V.