Minecraft was initially released back in 2011, but it remains massively popular even now. With a whopping 100 million people playing the game on a monthly basis and over 150 million units sold since launch, it would be logical to assume that Microsoft would want to greenlight a sequel sometime. However, the publisher has recently confirmed that Minecraft 2 is not happening, which means that any rumors of a Minecraft 2 release date should be regarded as false.
In an interview with Business Insider Australia, Microsoft Head of Minecraft Helen Chiang shot down the possibility of a Minecraft 2 release date dropping any time soon. She also explained the reason for this is because a sequel would not be suitable for the game’s community, as it would only split them apart. Minecraft has always been a game that involves sharing one’s unique creations with other players in the same community.
“I really don’t think that makes sense for ‘Minecraft,’ given the community,” she said. “It’s something that always fractures the community.” However, the fact that there won’t be a Minecraft 2 doesn’t mean that a new Minecraft isn’t being developed. Microsoft recently announced Minecraft Dungeons, a game that won’t be featuring the original game’s signature chopping and building.
According to Chiang, the company wants the Minecraft community to stay united, which is partly the reason why the game’s updates have always been free. She also mentioned that there are other ways to expand the franchise, without needing to release a conventional follow-up like most other games would.
“The way that we’ve decided to expand – and I think ‘Dungeons’ is the first example of that – is a way that we’re trying to keep our community together,” she said. “That’s why our updates are free. We don’t want to ask [players] to move from ‘Minecraft 1’ to ‘Minecraft 2.’ We want them to just enjoy ‘Minecraft.’ And there are other ways that we can expand that are more meaningful and authentic to what we want to be, rather than just releasing another iteration in the way that most other franchises do.”
