The Injustice of Minecraft Earth

Marcos Jimgar

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Introduction

Minecraft Earth was an official Mojang app, similar to Pokémon GO, focused on collecting blocks and building with AR technology. This spin-off had great potential, but from the very beginning, it struggled to become a successful and widely used app. Today, in this article, I will explain the short and unfair life of Minecraft Earth.

Beginnings

When it was first announced, the hype was enormous. I still remember the Minecon where they revealed it—it felt new and innovative. A Pokémon GO-style app that encouraged you to walk around with friends, collecting and building, seemed like a dream come true!

Unfortunately, the app launched with its first major weakness: the mandatory use of AR technology. This feature was required to correctly render 3D models through the phone’s camera. While Pokémon GO also included AR, it was optional. However, in Minecraft Earth, if your device didn’t support AR, you couldn't even play the game. I remember trying to install it for the first time, only to realize I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it. (Eventually, some tricks allowed you to play without AR, but it was far from ideal.)

Lack of Motivation

Even if your phone supported AR and you could play, another issue quickly became apparent: lack of long-term motivation. At first, you could collect blocks and mobs. Blocks were useful for building houses and structures, but mobs were supposed to be Minecraft Earth’s equivalent of Pokémon. There were common, rare, and epic variants, making it exciting to collect them.

However, after a few weeks, the excitement faded. In Pokémon GO, you collect Pokémon to battle and progress, but in Minecraft Earth, mobs were only decorative. They had no real gameplay purpose beyond being placed in a build, making them feel pointless after a while.

Issues with Outdoor Play

A few years ago, a global event forced everyone to stay at home, making it impossible to go outside and earn daily rewards. This situation completely removed the core purpose of the game—walking around and playing with friends. A few months after this disaster, Microsoft made the unfair decision to shut down the app.

Final Days

In its final days, almost everyone had abandoned the game. It was truly a shame, as many people genuinely loved it. Another aspect worth mentioning was its small marketplace, which didn’t last long. It featured a currency called Ruby, and for players who had spent money on the game, their remaining Rubies were converted into Minecoins and transferred to their Minecraft Bedrock account.

Conclusion

Honestly, I would love for Mojang to reconsider bringing this game back. Since it was already developed, it would be great to see it available again. However, as of today, there has been no official statement from Mojang, and its fate remains unknown. Unfortunately, playing the game is now impossible due to the requirement of online servers for maps, items, accounts, and more.

With nothing more to add, I hope this article has brought back memories of this beloved app and that you enjoyed reading it. That’s all for now—see you next time!