Don’t expect to see blockchain technology or NFTs in Minecraft any time soon. The developers of the massively popular sandbox game have taken a public position on the issue and said that these technologies create “models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our guidelines and the spirit of Minecraft.”
In a statement published today, Mojang staff lay out the company’s view of blockchain technology, with a special emphasis on NFTs. The quick summary is that “integrations of NFTs with Minecraft are generally not something we will support or allow,” but the post goes into some detail on the reasoning behind the decision.
Several companies, Mojang explains, have recently launched NFT lines tied to Minecraft in various ways: some have made NFT skin packs and assets, while others have suggested creating Minecraft-themed collectible NFT sets or NFTs that are awarded for time spent on specific Minecraft servers.
“Each of these uses of NFTs and other blockchain technologies creates digital ownership based on scarcity and exclusion, which does not align with Minecraft values of creative inclusion and playing together,” Mojang says. NFTs are not inclusive of all our community and create a scenario of the haves and the have-nots.”
Furthermore, Mojang is extremely wary of the financial speculation associated with NFTs, and doesn’t want that to change the way people play Minecraft.
“The speculative pricing and investment mentality around NFTs takes the focus away from playing the game and encourages profiteering, which we think is inconsistent with the long-term joy and success of our players,” Mojang says.
While Mojang says it plans to continue monitoring the blockchain space for developments in the technology, for now it’s issuing a blanket rule: none of that belongs in Minecraft.
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“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our Minecraft client and server applications nor may they be utilized to create NFTs associated with any in-game content, including worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods,” the company says.
Mojang says the Minecraft guidelines will soon be updated to reflect this policy.