Minecraft
Minecraft
How to fly in Minecraft survival mode with and without cheats
William Davis
Flying in Minecraft survival mode lets you see all of your beautiful creations from a birds-eye view, and there’s more than one way to go about it. Minecraft is all about creating a sense of freedom. You have the ability to go anywhere and do everything, but even advanced players are stuck on the ground for the most part. Flying in Minecraft either requires the use of cheats or some …
Minecraft
Every Minecraft villager job explained, and how to change them
William Davis
Villagers in Minecraft can perform all sorts of tasks, but their job will determine exactly what they can do. The Minecraft world can seem lonely at times, but finding a village can both keep you company and open up new trading and farming opportunities. Luckily for players, villagers can change jobs depending on certain circumstances. Here’s every type of Minecraft villager explained. To change a villager’s job, you must first …
Minecraft
Patch notes for Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Part Two revealed
William Davis
The Caves and Cliffs Part Two patch notes are officially live. The second half of the Minecraft Cave and Cliffs update is now available on all platforms. The update greatly expands the vertical size of the Minecraft world. Mountains are now taller, caves are deeper, and both are generated with a brand new system that makes them more dynamic and fun to explore. Mojang also added a bunch of new …
Minecraft
Does Minecraft have crossplay? Only for some platforms
William Davis
Looking to crossplay Minecraft with your friends? You’re probably in the clear. Minecraft Bedrock edition has crossplay between all of its supported platforms. That means that players on consoles, PC, and mobile devices can all play together in the same Minecraft world. Crossplay is a sought-after feature in multiplayer games, making it a must-have for the multiplayer sandbox. DLC purchases, such as the Sonic Anniversary pack, are available across any …
Minecraft
How to speedrun Portal to the Nether in Minecraft
William Davis
Looking to get early access to glowstone and soul sand? Or just feel like paying the pigmen a visit? Getting to the Nether is a crucial part of many Minecraft speedruns. Below is an easy way to speedrun to the Nether in Minecraft. It can be used in any world and only requires a bucket, flint and steel, and some clever engineering. A diamond pickaxe is usually a prerequisite for …
Minecraft
The 10 best Minecraft mansion ideas
William Davis
Minecraft is a life-sized sandbox game that allows you to build anything you want using blocks. From a perfect Minecraft house to a temple that wows your friends, you can build anything you imagine. But, have you ever wondered how to build a mansion in Minecraft? There is something about building your own mansion in Minecraft that is so awesome. You can’t get bored with these types of things because …
Minecraft
We explain all the different types of Minecraft speedruns
William Davis
Speedrunning has taken over the Minecraft world, but not all Minecraft speedruns have the same goal in mind. The diverse world of Minecraft demands an equally diverse set of speedrunning categories for its players to compete in. The goals can vary from attaining achievements, to collecting items, to destroying the Ender Dragon. If you want to see your name on the leaderboards, these are the most competitive categories for Minecraft …
Minecraft
The coolest changes coming in Minecraft 1.18 Caves and Cliffs Part 2
William Davis
Part two of the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update will completely overhaul Minecraft’s world generation systems later this year. The Minecraft 1.8 update is the second half of the Caves and Cliffs update series. The title feature will allow for more dynamic landscapes both above and underground. The exact release date for Cave and Cliffs part two is yet to be revealed but Mojang intends to launch 1.8 around the …
How to tame a fox in Minecraft 1.17
William Davis
Minecraft
Minecraft pets are all useful in different ways but a fox is definitely the most fashionable. Follow these steps to your own vulpine companion in Minecraft. The first step to taming a fox in Minecraft will be finding some in the wild. Foxes are most likely to spawn in taiga biomes. Foxes can also spawn in snowy taigas and giant tree biomes. They’re usually at ground level and tend to …
How to build a farm operated by villagers in Minecraft 1.17
William Davis
Minecraft
By manipulating villager AI, smart Minecraft players can grow an infinite amount of crops and harvest them automatically. This automatic Minecraft farm is a little tricky to set up, but the payoff comes in the form of infinite food. This automatic farm only requires some iron to get started and it runs completely independently thanks to a handy villager. Infinite potatoes, carrots, and wheat can all be grown using this …
Sonic x Minecraft DLC launches for Minecraft Bedrock
William Davis
Minecraft
A new Sonic-themed game mode has been released as downloadable content for Minecraft Bedrock. The DLC includes several Sonic levels remade in Minecraft’s signature blocky style. Green Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, and Sky Sanctuary Zone return in three dimensions with plenty of secrets to find. Other game elements like Chaos Emeralds, springs, treadmill pads, checkpoints, and the dreaded spike pits have also been faithfully recreated. The new Minecraft game …
Top 4 Minecraft Shader packs in 2021
Fariha Bhatti
Minecraft
Minecraft is one of the bestselling video games of all time. But when compared with its modern rivals, the game comes short in the graphics department. The adventurous game has its own loyal player base that always returns to Minecraft even though there are cutthroat games that offer clean graphics. However, Minecraft doesn’t have to be all blocky and boring. Despite its coarse-featured appearance, Minecraft is a delightful title that …
Dream finally admits to cheating in Minecraft speedrun
Olivia Richman
Minecraft
After denying it for months, Minecraft YouTuber Dream has finally admitted that he cheated on his infamous speedrun. Dream has over 20 million subscribers on YouTube thanks to his impressive videos and the giant server he runs. But he was recently accused of cheating in his Minecraft speedruns. Even when groups came forward with studies and statistics about his unbelievable speedruns, Dream denied the accusations. He even hired an astrophysicist …
What is Minecraft Hypixel, and how do you play on it?
William Davis
Minecraft
Minecraft is closing in on its 10-year anniversary and remains one of the most popular games in the world. Among the big reasons for Minecraft’s continued popularity are the Hypixel server and popular content creators such as Technoblade, Dream, and others. What was once only considered a single-player game where players could unfold their creativity by building everything from farms to houses is now a competitive game that many thousands …
This is the best way to quickly get diamonds in Minecraft
M Alzamora
Minecraft
If Minecraft is about one thing, it’s about getting diamonds. As much as Minecraft is about building, farming, and slaying mobs to find that last piece of string players need to make a bow, it’s most of all a game about mining. And even then, players will happily throw out a stack of redstone for the chance to add even one diamond to their collection. Diamonds are Minecraft’s most valuable …
Forsen beats xQc in Minecraft speedrunning, taunts on Twitter
Olivia Richman
Minecraft
In mid-March, Twitch streamer Felix “xQc” Lengyel declared that he had the new Minecraft speedrunning record in an ongoing battle against Sebastian “Forsen” Fors. But now it seems Forsen has finally taken back his crown just a few weeks later. xQc shared the exciting clip of himself taking the new record. As everyone chanted “I was here” in the chat, xQc continued to scream out as the tension mounted. He …
Minecraft Java or Bedrock Edition? Here are the big differences
M Alzamora
Minecraft
Minecraft is more accessible now than it’s ever been, with Microsoft offering players some great options when it comes to ways to hop into the famous sandbox game. Whether you’re coming back to Minecraft after a break or coming in for the first time, Minecraft’s two versions might be a little confusing. At its core, Minecraft has two versions in 2021: the original Java edition and Microsoft’s excellent Windows Store …
Four early game paths to start a Minecraft survival playthough
M Alzamora
Minecraft
Minecraft has changed a lot since Microsoft acquired it back in 2014, but the game’s famous survival mode is still as tough as ever. The beginning of any Minecraft survival playthrough is arguably its most important part. Players are at their weakest here, with no armor, no upgraded weapons, and no source of food to make sure they’ll survive the first few nights. But there are a few things players …
Kaceytron is latest victim of Dream’s Minecraft fan toxicity
Olivia Richman
Minecraft
A hashtag asking for Dream stans to be canceled started trending after some of Dream’s fans sent death threats to content creator Awesome Nintendo Facts, and the incident led to a whole lot of drama involving longtime Twitch streamer Kaceytron. Awesome Nintendo Facts had tweeted that Dream “wasn’t deserving” of his impressive YouTube following, triggering many of the Minecraft streamer’s fans to attack all of Awesome Nintendo Facts’ accounts. “The …
The most popular streamers on Twitch are speedrunning Minecraft
Olivia Richman
Minecraft
As streaming continues to grow, content creators are finding creative ways to stand out on Twitch. This includes dabbling in such popular games as chess, Among Us, Rust, and Minecraft. Minecraft speedrunning became quite popular in 2020 thanks to YouTubers such as Destiny. It was entertaining for many fans to watch these big personalities race for world records. But when Destiny was accused of cheating in a Minecraft speedrun, it …
Minecraft is one of the biggest brands in gaming, going from an independently published game to a major cross-media IP in short order.
No game has boomed in popularity the way that Minecraft did. Quietly released in a public alpha state in 2009, the game quickly attracted millions of players with its laid-back atmosphere and retained them with its surprising depth and complexity. The game was officially released in 2011 and spread to a vast assortment of platforms.
Minecraft’s release on PC, consoles, mobile devices, and handhelds allowed anyone to try the game if they wanted. Despite being more than 15 years old, its popularity only continues to grow.
Minecraft gameplay details
Minecraft is a sandbox survival game that allows players to explore, collect resources, and build almost anything they can imagine.
When a player starts a new game of Minecraft, they are dropped in the middle of the wilderness with no direction. The only interaction players have initially is the ability to punch. Everything in the world appears in block form and punching a block enough times will break it. Once the block is broken, players can collect it and craft it into items, weapons, or tools.
However, the player cannot immediately collect all blocks. Tools first need to be built out of wood, then players need to start collecting ore that is forged into metal, which are then used to build pickaxes and shovels. This scales all the way into collecting and using diamonds.
As time goes on, players have to contend with both monsters and hunger. Monsters can be defeated with swords and magic, while animals can be hunted and crops can be grown for food.
Crafting isn’t just limited to primitive weapons and tools, though. As time goes on, players can construct various simple machines that can be combined to create things like elevators, lighthouses, and drawbridges. This allows players to flex their creative muscles after they’ve mastered the basics of survival.
Minecraft sells millions, spawns numerous spin-offs and adaptations
According to numerous measures, Minecraft is the highest-selling video game of all time. The game has sold over 350 million units as of April 2025 according to Mojang, and maintains a nine-figure active monthly user count.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, though. Minecraft is much bigger than just the original game at this point.
In 2015, a first official spin-off was released in Minecraft: Story Mode. As the name would suggest, the game is a narrative-focused adventure game produced by Telltale Games, the creators of The Wolf Among Us. It was released in numerous episodes from 2015 to 2018.
This was followed in 2020 by action-RPG dungeon crawler Minecraft Dungeons. The game sees players hack and slash their way through procedurally generated dungeons from a top-down angle, rather than the series’ normal first-person perspective.
While Minecraft: Story Mode and Minecraft Dungones were fairly well received, the Minecraft name doesn’t necessarily guarantee success or quality.
Minecraft Earth launched in 2019, offering a real-life Minecraft experience in the form of an augmented reality game. Though it was praised for its ambitious concept and gameplay, the title was shut down in 2021.
2023 saw Minecraft launch another spin-off in Minecraft Legends. Though the game used Minecraft’s aesthetic and characters, it’s a real-time strategy game more akin to StarCraft. The game received middling reviews.
In 2025, it also received a film adaptation entitled A Minecraft Movie. The film had an all-star cast led by Jack Black and Jason Momoa. It garnered mixed reviews, but was a commercial success, grossing over $900 million at the box office.
Though Minecraft hasn’t hit consistent home runs, the commercial success of its spin-offs demonstrates the enduring popularity of the game.
Do people still play Minecraft?
Minecraft remains one of the most popular games in the world more than 15 years after its public alpha release.
Mojang stated in 2025 that the game has approximately 170 million unique users per month. That user dwarfs almost anything else in gaming. That figure eclipses the estimated user count of Steam, and is higher than the total number of PlayStation 2 consoles sold.
The game isn’t just retaining its established user base, though. The game is still selling tens of millions of units each year, making it one of the top-selling titles on an annual basis. This has actually contributed to the game’s user count growing over time, going from 112 million in 2019 to the 170 million in 2025.
Even the most tenured Minecraft players have reason to return, though. Mojang is improving Minecraft by adding new content alongside releasing it on new platforms.
