No, the creator of Minecraft will not be involved in the festivities surrounding the game's 10-year anniversary following controversial remarks on social media. Minecraft has become one of the greatest success stories in gaming, with the title eventually becoming the second best-selling video game ever made. Of course, those humble origins as an indie title seem like a distant memory now, as the intellectual property has evolved substantially since it first caught the attention of the masses.
Major updates have arrived for Minecraft, and continue to arrive for the game, making the survival elements and crafting options even deeper. Additionally, a Minecraft film is moving towards its March 2022 release, while Microsoft has begun making the game even more widely accessible to Xbox owners through its Xbox Game Pass subscription service. A lot of big things have been happening with the IP, but as has proven thus far, this barrage of news comes in many forms.
After removing mentions of Minecraft creator Markus 'Notch' Persson from the loading screens of the game, Microsoft has issued a statement to Variety clarifying that it will also forego including him in celebrations surrounding the game's 10-year anniversary. According to Microsoft, this is because the opinions shared by Notch on his personal Twitter account don't resonate with those at Microsoft or the studio currently working on Minecraft, Mojang.
“His comments and opinions do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang and are not representative of Minecraft.”
Persson sold off Minecraft and sole ownership of the studio Mojang to Microsoft in 2014 for approximately $2.5 billion. In the years since, he has become quite outspoken about several major political topics - with comments pertaining to trans rights and white pride drawing the most industry-wide ire. To claim that Persson's opinions have proven controversial would be an understatement, with the former developer now being shunned from the very game that he created.
The event in question, dubbed the 'Minecraft 10 Year Celebration', kicks off on May 17 at 5pm PST. Despite the controversy that Persson has drawn in the years since Microsoft's acquisition of the property, Minecraft continues to be a blockbuster brand for Xbox - averaging 91 million players every single month. This immense user base is exactly why Microsoft has begun pursuing initiatives outside of the core game, such as the impending film and the upcoming spin-off known as Minecraft: Dungeons.
Source: Variety