Minecraft Stays Paid: 'Best Deal Globally'

In an era where many live service games have shifted to a free-to-play model, Minecraft stands firm as a premium experience. During a recent interview with IGN, Mojang's developers reaffirmed their commitment to the "buy and own the game" approach, even 16 years after its initial release. Don't hold your breath for Minecraft to become free-to-play anytime soon.

“Yeah, it doesn't really work with the way we built it," explained Ingela Garneij, executive producer of Minecraft Vanilla. "We built the game for a different purpose. So monetization doesn't work in that way for us. It's a purchase of the game and then that's it. For us, it's important that our game is available to as many people as possible. And so I think that's a very core value that it should be accessible for everyone. It's the best deal in the world.”

As the gaming industry has evolved, numerous titles have transitioned to free-to-download models, often laden with battle passes and cosmetic packs, yielding varied results. Notable examples include Overwatch 2, Destiny 2, and Minecraft's Microsoft counterpart, Halo Infinite, particularly with its multiplayer component.

Despite the industry's shift, Mojang remains steadfast in its approach. The pressure to explore new monetization strategies to survive is a challenge many developers face, yet this is not a concern for Garneij and her Mojang team: “No, no. What's important for us is that many people can enjoy it still and that's going strong still.”

Agnes Larsson, game director of Minecraft Vanilla, further elaborated on this stance: "For me, it’s part of the important values of Minecraft. It's become such an integral part of what Minecraft is and its culture and values, and I think we all here can agree on that. It's essential to the game and one part of what makes it strong. It has strong values.”

Minecraft Vibrant Visuals Comparison Screenshots

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Minecraft will continue to evolve without requiring players to spend additional money on new features. This is demonstrated by the upcoming Vibrant Visuals graphics overhaul, set to arrive free of charge in the coming months. Moreover, with no plans for a Minecraft 2 on the horizon, there’s no need to repurchase the best-selling game of all time anytime soon, unless you wish to play it on one of the countless devices it's available on today.

For more information on what's coming to the game, check out everything announced at Minecraft Live 2025.