With the Minecraft Legends release date around the corner, PCGamesN had the chance to chat with developer Mojang all about the strategy game spin-off while at GDC 2023 in San Francisco, and we asked if the colossal crafting game is going to keep expanding into other genres, and got an interesting answer off the back of Minecraft Legends.
We spoke with principal design director Craig Leigh after our Minecraft Legends gameplay preview wrapped up, which covered both the campaign and PvP, and asked if Mojang wants to keep transplanting Minecraft into different genres.
“Within Mojang, we’re always looking to create new experiences but in the world of the things that Minecraft players like to do,” Leight tells PCGamesN during the Minecraft Legends preview event. “You’ll see in Minecraft Legends there’s still building, right? But it’s slightly different, you’re still building giant bases but in a different way.”
We’ve already seen Minecraft tackle the Telltale-style narrative adventure game and the Diablo-like dungeon crawler, so it makes sense that Minecraft Legends won’t be the end of these spin-offs. That said, Leigh makes it clear that Mojang isn’t coming for every genre, instead going with their own cool ideas and what works for the series.
“So it’s not that we’re trying to conquer each genre. For us it’s all about fun, and making new experiences in the universe that players want to play. So we thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t it be fun if you were a commander with troops attacking things.’
“And so, to be honest, I have no idea what’s next,” Leigh says. “It depends on what type of experience we want to create. But we always want it to be in the universe, we always want it to be super accessible.”
Microsoft and Mojang have had approachability at the core of Minecraft for a long time as well, and Minecraft Legends is no exception with its fully realised crossplay, meaning you can play on any platform with players from across the sandbox game’s community.
In the meantime, if you’re already feeling swamped by all of the upcoming PC game releases, we can help you get to grips with the question ‘How long is Minecraft Legends?’ We also have the Minecraft Legends system requirements broken down for you, so you can see if your rig is up to the task.