After ten years of meticulously scouring the internet, the elusive Alpha 1.1.1 version of Minecraft has been discovered by internet archivists. Because the version was only available to download for a few hours back in 2010 before being updated to Alpha 1.1.2, internet archivists struggled for years to find a file of the build.
Minecraft initially launched for PC back in 2009 and has since garnered a global fan base of millions of players. Before it was the billion-dollar behemoth that it is today, however, Minecraft was a simple indie game that received regular updates in its Alpha state. The game was usually updated on Fridays, apparently. But on a Saturday in September 2010, Alpha 1.1.1 was stealthily released. Developer Mojang quickly realized that a bug causing players to experience a perpetually gray screen needed to be fixed. Alpha 1.1.2 was rapidly deployed, meaning that Alpha 1.1.1 was only available to download for three hours and twenty-five minutes.
Internet archivists from Omniarchive have finally discovered a working version of Minecraft Alpha 1.1.1. after a decade of searching (via Kotaku). The long-lost file was in the possession of lunasorcery, who was contacted by Omniarchive on suspicion of having the build based on the timing of a Tweet she made in 2010 that reads, "oooooohhhhhhh MineCraft update!" Luna detailed her experience of being contacted and finding the file in a Twitter thread. She apparently played Minecraft on a laptop before switching to a PC in 2011, though she kept the laptop and backed up the user profiles. Someone from Omniarchive sent her a DM months ago, but she initially dismissed them. After another person reached out, she decided she'd put the matter to rest by doing a quick search for the build.
After exhausting some other options, Luna dug up her old external USB hard drive. She searched for .jar files of Minecraft, found several different versions, and noticed that one had the correct date and timestamp to potentially be the legendary Alpha 1.1.1 build. Unzipping the file confirmed her suspicion: it was, indeed, Alpha 1.1.1. She posted her finding on the Omniarchive Discord server, where moderators verified the legitimacy of the build. The Discord erupted with excitement. Luna summarizes the moral of the story as, "Never Delete Anything," and encourages people to support the work of internet archivists.
Though internet archivists often have an uphill battle in finding old and long-lost versions of various games, stories like this one are an encouraging anecdote. It's also a relief to the Minecraft community that the history of their beloved game is more secure than ever. As players enjoy the Caves & Cliffs Update: Part 1, it may be worthwhile to keep an extra copy of the latest Minecraft build, just in case.
Minecraft is available for Nintendo Switch, PS 4, PS 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Android, iOS, and PC.
Source: lunasorcery/Twitter, Kotaku