Minecraft Bans NFTs
Minecraft is banning the usage of NFTs and the blockchain within its game. NFTs have been the hot new thing for the last year or two, but have also been incredibly controversial due to their effect on the environment and general doubt over whether or not they have any actual value. A number of video game publishers and developers have tried to ride this wave in various ways by both creating blockchain-based games or implementing an NFT marketplace into games. Ubisoft famously tried to integrate NFTs via in-game items in Ghost Recon Breakpoint, a game that lost support just months later. The publisher is expected to continue to do more NFTs, but nothing has been detailed yet.
Minecraft, however, wants nothing to do with NFTs or the blockchain right now. Developer Mojang released a blog post talking about what NFTs are, how they're being used in Minecraft, and what the developer's official stance is on it. Mojang stated the idea of NFTs, largely the scarcity involved with them, does not align with the developer's values regarding "creative inclusion and playing together" and prioritizing profiteering over simply playing the game. The developer also raised the concern of fraud, artificially inflated prices, unaccountable asset managers, and so on. Mojang will monitor the evolution of this technology to see if anything changes, but as of right now, NFTs are not allowed in Minecraft.
"To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our Minecraft client and server applications nor may they be utilized to create NFTs associated with any in-game content, including worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods," reads the blog post. "We will also be paying close attention to how blockchain technology evolves over time to ensure that the above principles are withheld and determine whether it will allow for more secure experiences or other practical and inclusive applications in gaming. However, we have no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft right now."
Mojang will monitor the evolution of this technology to see if anything changes, but as of right now, NFTs are not allowed in Minecraft. Minecraft is the best selling game of all time, making it immensely popular. It takes a lot for the developer to blatantly to deny the usage of NFTs in a game this big, especially one that is so focused on its community and creating content. Nevertheless, given the constant unpredictability and unsustainability of NFTs combined with Minecraft's target audience largely revolving around children, this is probably the right call.
What do you think of Minecraft's stance on NFTs? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.