Minecraft sales have officially reached 200 million and 126 million players are playing the game monthly. Microsoft has released the latest figures on sales as Mojang Studios celebrates 11 years since the first Minecraft alpha build was released.
Microsoft has also seen a huge increase in Minecraft usage during the pandemic. Minecraft saw a 25% increase in users and a 40% increase in multiplayer sessions during the month of April.
In 2016, Minecraft sales exceeded 100 million, and the game hasn't slowed down. A surge in YouTubers' interest and nostalgia-driven play saw Minecraft remain the top game in YouTube viewership stats last year.
Microsoft purchased Minecraft maker Mojang six years ago for $2.5 Billion. At SERVERS , the company sold more than 50 million copies on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. It was a wise acquisition by Microsoft, and the incredible growth in sales and growth since has kept players coming back to the game over the years.
Minecraft began as a project for a bedroom. It was initially made available as a Java applet on an online forum. The game was soon accepted by thousands of gamers who fell love with its concept which let players build and create structures from blocks. It has spawned a giant community of people who make replicas of objects and YouTube tips on how to play Minecraft that are shared regularly with millions of viewers.