Minecraft Earth is Mojang’s take on the augmented reality mobile game that requires you to explore the real world around you, like Ingress or Pokemon Go. Mojang has announced that the game will be shutting down this June. Unfortunate, but understandably so.
“Minecraft Earth was designed around free movement and collaborative play,” the announcement post reads. “Two things that have become near impossible in the current global situation.”
Mojang is adding one more update released today to remove all in-app microtransactions, reducing in-game costs and timer requirements, replacing crafting and smelting boosts with radius boots and new Character Creator items. Essentially, making the game easier to play in the current conditions where not everyone can go outside safely until servers shut down.
By July 1st 2021, Minecraft Earth will be unplayable. Players that have ruby balances will be granted Minecons to be used in the Minecraft Marketplace for the proper Minecraft game. And for those that paid any money playing Minecraft Earth, they will get a free copy of the Bedrock version of Minecraft. That’s the Windows 10 version, not Java.
Minecraft is still doing well, with the next big update, version 1.17 scheduled for release this summer (around June-September).
Source: Minecraft Earth