Microsoft’s ambitious Minecraft Earth game will end on June 30

Microsoft is closing its Minecraft Earth mobile game in June due to the ongoing pandemic. The ambitious game aimed to rival Pokémon Go and cover the world in virtual blocks for players to meet and play together.

Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play – two things that have become almost impossible in the current global situation, ”says Minecraft team. “As a result, we made the difficult decision to reallocate our resources to other areas that add value to the Minecraft community and to end support for Minecraft Earth in June 2021. ”

The final build of the game is being released today, which reduces the amount of time it takes to create the game and the cost of certain materials. It was designed to allow players to create and build more easily and securely at home in the coming months, before the game goes down on June 30.

Players will no longer be able to download or play Minecraft Earth after June 30, and Microsoft is deleting player data on July 1.

Minecraft Earth aims to cover the world in virtual blocks.
Image: Microsoft

Microsoft first revealed Minecraft Earth in May 2019. The idea was to recreate the experience of playing Minecraft in the real world through augmented reality and to allow players to build virtual buildings with materials. The game focused on social interactions with others and was part of a larger effort by Microsoft to harness the help of the HoloLens and Azure cloud server teams. Before the game’s launch, Apple even invited Microsoft to the stage at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) to demonstrate the new title.

Players will no longer be able to purchase items in Minecraft Earth, and all ruby ​​balances paid will be converted to Minecoins, which you can use to purchase skins, maps and mini-games on Minecraft Marketplace.

“We are forever grateful for the incredible talent of the Minecraft community,” says the Minecraft team. “This was not an easy decision and we’re doing everything we can to make sure you get the most Minecraft Earth before sunset. “

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