Minecraft Stays Paid: 'Best Deal Globally'

In an era where many live service games have shifted to a free-to-play model, Minecraft remains steadfastly a premium experience. In a recent interview with IGN, Mojang's developers reaffirmed their commitment to the "buy and own the game" approach, even 16 years after its initial release. So, don't hold your breath for Minecraft to switch to free-to-play anytime soon.

“Yeah, it doesn't really work with the way we built it," explained Ingela Garneij, executive producer of Minecraft Vanilla. "We built the game for a different purpose. So monetization doesn't work in that way for us. It's a purchase of the game and then that's it. For us, it's important that our game is available for as many people as possible. And so I think that's a very core value that it should be accessible for everyone. It's the best deal in the world.”

As the gaming industry evolves, many titles have transitioned to free-to-download models, often filled with battle passes and cosmetic packs. Examples include Overwatch 2, Destiny 2, and even Minecraft's Microsoft sibling, Halo Infinite, specifically its multiplayer component. While there's pressure on game developers to find new monetization strategies to stay afloat, Mojang seems immune to this pressure. “No, no. What's important for us is that many people can enjoy it still and that's going on strong still,” Garneij emphasized.

Agnes Larsson, game director of Minecraft Vanilla, further elaborated on this sentiment: "For me, it's part of the important values of Minecraft. I think it's become such an important thing of what Minecraft is and the perfect culture and values, and I think we all here can agree on that. It's a thing for the game and it's one part of what makes the game strong. It has strong values."

Minecraft Vibrant Visuals Comparison Screenshots

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Minecraft will continue to evolve without requiring additional payments for new features. This is evident with the upcoming Vibrant Visuals graphics overhaul, set to arrive free of charge in the coming months. Moreover, with no plans for a Minecraft 2 in sight, there's no need to repurchase the best-selling game of all time. Unless, of course, you want to play it on one of the numerous devices it supports today.

For more details on what's coming to the game, check out everything announced at Minecraft Live 2025.