Minecraft Now Has a Subscription for New Marketplace Content

Over the last few years, Minecraft has increasingly embraced crossover content in its sandbox. Recently, Mojang added Godzilla content and teased a potential Dune collab. All of that extra content must be purchased from the Minecraft Marketplace. If you're someone who wants to have all of the latest Minecraft content, that can get quite expensive. Not only are you paying a premium for all of the crossovers, but all kinds of skin packs, adventure worlds, and other DLC rotate through the Marketplace each month. Fortunately, the developers at Mojang are introducing a new way to interact with the Marketplace that should make it cheaper to get everything. The Marketplace Pass is a new subscription players can purchase to gain access to a gigantic catalog of content from the Marketplace.

Minecraft Introduces the Marketplace Pass

The Marketplace Pass gives players access to 150+ pieces of Minecraft Marketplace content. The pass costs $3.99 per month (prices vary based on your region) and the content selection rotates monthly. For example, this month, players get access to the Hacker Tools mod which gives players a new secret base and hacked armor. They'll also get 700+ new furniture models via the Furniture: Modern 2 pack. Next month, those packs will rotate out, giving players a new selection of "handpicked" content from Mojang.

Each month will also bring a new collection of Character Creator items, giving you plenty of new cosmetics to equip. These are yours forever once you download them, so you'll want to make sure you grab them as soon as they're available. The Marketplace Pass is available on Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. That's important because it means everyone can sign up for the pass. Unlike certain Snapshots, you won't be locked out of this content if you're playing on a console or mobile device.

It's also worth noting that Mojang has another subscription called Realms Plus. This option is similar to the Marketplace Pass but includes a personal server. If you want to play Minecraft with friends, it's probably worth upgrading to the Realms Plus sub. Single-player gamers can instead grab the Marketplace Pass and not worry about missing out on anything.

Minecraft Update 1.21 Release Date

Of course, the content in the Marketplace is largely made by third-party developers. Mojang is currently working to add Update 1.21 to Minecraft later this year. Even today, the team added a few new wrinkles from the upcoming patch to the test server on Minecraft: Java Edition. Players can now test new features like the Mace and Breeze Rods if they play that version of Minecraft.

Mojang has provided fans with a firm release date for Minecraft Update 1.21. Currently, the patch is scheduled for "mid-2024." Traditionally, new patches hit Minecraft in June, so it's fair to assume Update 1.21 will launch in a few months. That said, development is always fluid, so don't be surprised if things move around slightly before launch. 

Minecraft is available now on PlayStation, Switch, mobile, Xbox, and PC platforms.