Barely two years after the game’s launch, Mojang has announced that it will be shutting down the AR-based Minecraft Earth for mobile phones. Rather than letting it waste away before ending the game’s support in late June 2021, the developer has planned to give it a proper send-off as well as additional rewards and compensations to players.
“Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play – two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation,” Mojang stated in the announcement. “As a result, we have made the difficult decision to reallocate our resources to other areas that provide value to the Minecraft community and to end support for Minecraft Earth in June 2021.”
The developer also added that it has released one final update for the game with the aim of making it as fun as possible for players, while staying safe indoors. According to Mojang, the final Minecraft Earth build drastically reduces ruby costs, time requirements for crafting and smelting, as well as including all completed, unreleased content in the game’s development pipeline and removing real-money transactions altogether. On top of that, players who sign in between 5 January to 30 June will be granted a set of Character Creator items.
In regards to in-app purchases, Mojang reveals that it will compensate players by converting paid ruby balances into Minecoins, which can be used to purchase skin and texture packs, maps and minigames. Additionally, players who have purchased in-game items with real money are entitled to receive a free copy of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, claimable for the platform of their choice.
“We’re eternally grateful for the amazing talent in the Minecraft community,” Mojang said. “This was not an easy decision, and we’re doing everything we can to make sure you get the most out of Minecraft Earth before it sunsets.”
(Source: Mojang [Official website])
