Minecraft creator Markus ‘Notch’ Persson has confirmed he’s working on a “spiritual successor” to the hit video game.
Persson founded Mojang Studios in 2009 to develop Minecraft before it was officially released in 2011. He then sold the studio to Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5billion (£2billion). Minecraft went on to become the biggest-selling video game of all time, while Persson co-founded new studio Rubberbrain in 2015 before it was relaunched last year as Bitshift Entertainment. Now Perrson has said a “spiritual successor” to Minecraft is in the works.
Taking to social media last week, Perrson said he was “passionately working” on a new Stardew Valley-style game that takes inspiration from “traditional roguelikes” and “tile based first person dungeon crawlers”.
“But then I gots to thinking that maybe there are people who like my work but might not share my taste in retro nostalgia and would prefer for me to make a spiritual successor thing to Minecraft, and I mean sure, I’d take that cash,” he added, alongside a poll that currently has over 80 per cent of fans wanting a Minecraft 2.
“I basically announced Minecraft 2,” Perrson continued before he went on to say he wouldn’t make a direct Minecraft sequel.” I’d make a similar game based on what I think the audience that says they want that game might enjoy. But I mean I still sort of think I’m just a clown getting lucky in a sea of actual talents, so I have no idea if it actually will be good. But I’ll try.”
I basically announced minecraft 2.
I thought that maybe people ACTUALLY do want me to make another game that’s super similar to the first one, and I’m loving working on games again.
I don’t super duper care exactly which game I make first (or even if I make more), but I do know…
— notch (@notch) January 3, 2025
“Spiritual successors are usually kind of washed up [and] tragic,” he added. “The things I’m fearing my next game is going to be anyway so why not do the thing that people do want and are willing to give me, somehow, even MORE cash for.”
He went on to say his new game wouldn’t “sneakily infringe on the incredible work the Mojang team is doing”.
Last year, theme park company Merlin Entertainment confirmed a deal with Minecraft for two new physical world attractions to launch before the end of 2027. A feature film starring Jack Black is also due to release later this year.