12 years after its initial release, Minecraft continues to win over new players. As of 2019, it became the best selling video game of all time. The game’s success is the result of its simplicity and freedom – rather than wowing people with flashy graphics or guiding players through elaborate storylines, Minecraft encourages players to use their imagination by exploring and building without boundaries.
Already, many updates have been made to the game and it has evolved drastically, which has helped to hook players. Minecraft will likely continue to grow in the future – but just what does the future of Minecraft look like? This guide explores some of the biggest developments to look out for.
Minecraft 1.20
Minecraft’s next major update has already been nicknamed ‘trails and tales’. We have been given limited information as to what the update will involve, but a few things that are certain include new mobs (including camels) and new blocks (including bamboo).
Mojang have stated that this update ‘is all about self-expression, storytelling and worldbuilding. And it’s the journey, your trails, that tie it all together’. Does this mean new improvements to ‘create’ mode? Will players be able to create game modes with narratives? We’ll know by June 7th!
Minecraft: The Movie
Yes, there is indeed going to be a Minecraft movie. It was first announced in 2014 and has since been picked up and dropped by various directors and screenwriters. However, it now seems to be firmly in production with Jason Mamoa billed to be part of the cast (although quite who he will be playing is unclear). The movie is set to appear on the big screen in 2025. Considering Minecraft is a plotless game, it will be interesting to see what type of storyline we get.
AI and Minecraft
Minecraft – like all video games – is already reliant on a certain degree of AI. But as AI continues to progress at a staggering rate, we could begin to see more advanced AI being used within the game to control NPC mobs or simply generate more complex landscapes.
Experts have already trained AI to play the game – simply by watching 70,000 hours of YouTube tutorials. AI was able to successfully navigate the world like a real player, despite the game having no clear objectives, and was even able to build a diamond pickaxe. Such a breakthrough could revolutionise the use of NPCs – not just in Minecraft, but in many other games.
The popularity of Minecraft
Minecraft continues to attract millions of new players each year and its popularity shows no sign of plateauing. Minecraft survival servers are still very busy, and building projects have become more elaborate than ever. Will there eventually be a time when Minecraft’s popularity starts to dwindle? Future game releases like GTA 6 and advancements in AR and VR may have an impact, but for now Minecraft only seems to be getting bigger and better.
Minecraft 2?
Lead designer of Minecraft, Jens Bergensten, has stated that there’s ‘no real need for a Minecraft 2’ but that he would like to explore ‘different styles’. In other words, a sequel is unlikely, but we could see huge amounts of new content added to Minecraft. Perhaps new worlds with new textures or completely different modes?
