Minecraft 2 – father of legendary sandbox game announces "spiritual successor"

In Minecraft, players can unleash their creativity by building anything imaginable with pixelated blocks – castles, forests or even underwater worlds. When Markus Persson, better known as Notch, launched the game in May 2009, it resonated with players of all ages. By 2020, Minecraft had sold over 200 million copies, making it the best-selling game of all time, surpassing even GTA 5.

Around five years after its release, Notch sold Mojang Studios, the team behind Minecraft, to Microsoft for a staggering $2.5 billion. Microsoft integrated the studio into Xbox Game Studios and has continued to support the game, which still boasts a massive player base. In 2024, Minecraft received two major expansions, Tricky Trials and The Garden Awakens, offering fans a mass of new content. Despite these updates, the community's appetite for a true Minecraft 2 remains strong.

On January 1, Minecraft creator Markus Persson shared a survey asking the community whether he should focus on a roguelike game he had already started or shift his attention to developing Minecraft 2. The response was decisive, 80% of participants favored a sequel to Minecraft.

Notch is planning a "spiritual successor"

Two days later, Notch addressed the community again, confirming that he had "basically announced Minecraft 2" through the survey. However, the Swedish developer described it as a "spiritual successor", a game heavily inspired by Minecraft but charting its own path. Notch elaborated:

"I thought that maybe people ACTUALLY do want me to make another game that's super similar to the first one, and I'm loving working on games again."

For Minecraft fans, these words spark hope, making the prospect of a sequel feel within reach. However, it’s worth noting that Notch has previously announced game projects that never materialized, leaving the possibility that "Minecraft 2" may never see the light of day. Even if it does, how closely it can resemble the original is uncertain, given that Microsoft now holds the trademark rights to Minecraft. On Reddit, fans express a mix of curiosity and skepticism, remaining cautiously open to the idea of a successor.