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Mojang Studios announced that Minecraft has topped 200 million sales since its launch in 2009, with 126 million people dropping into the game on a monthly basis (via The Verge).
Expectedly, these numbers have been helped by the current coronavirus crisis, because people have been keeping themselves to themselves to slow the spread of the virus. In April, Minecraft recorded a 25 per cent increase in new players and a 40 per cent increase in multiplayer play. Also, in a less conventional use of the game, elementary school students in a Japanese school created their own virtual graduation ceremony due to the closure of schools in the country.
When Microsoft acquired Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014, the game had sold more than 50 million copies across PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and other platforms. Microsoft’s watchful eye ensured Minecraft went from strength to strength, and it had achieved 100 million sales in 2016. In addition, spin-off titles like Minecraft: Story Mode, Minecraft Earth, and Minecraft Dungeons have taken the game’s recipe and added a twist or two to attract new audiences, and bolster the future of the IP.
Minecraft is out now for iOS, PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
