Minecraft Owner Bans Ingame NFTs to stop Profiteering

Minecraft developer Mojang Studios is taking a strong stance against NFTs. In a blog entry titled "Minecraft and NFTs," the studio which is owned by Microsoft wrote that "integrations of NFTs with Minecraft are not something we will accept or support."

Mojang has stated that blockchain technology is not allowed to be integrated into our client or server apps. "To ensure that Minecraft players enjoy a safe and enjoyable experience, neither can Minecraft in-game content like worlds, skins or persona items be used by blockchain technology to create an exclusive digital asset."

According to Mojang the studio, some companies have created "NFT implementations that are bundled with Minecraft world files and skin packs." Screamy guy The studio also suggests that there could theoretically be Minecraft "collectible" NFTs or that players can earn NFTs by performing tasks in Minecraft on a server or earning them outside of the game.

Mojang claims that these practices encourage digital exclusion and scarcity, which is against Minecraft's values. Mojang has stated that NFTs "are not inclusive of all communities and create a situation in which the haves and the not-so-haves." Mojang also says that NFTs' speculative nature "encourages profiteering."

The blog post is worth reading in all its entirety. Screamy guy It outlines many criticisms of NFTs and blockchain projects in a simple and understandable manner. (There are a lot of additional quotes I could have included.)

Valve has also taken a hard stance against NFTs and blockchain-based games on Steam. Most of the gaming community has rejected NFTs. Ubisoft stopped making NFTs to Ghost Recon Breakpoint only a few months after the initiative was launched. Epic Games stated last year that it is "open" for blockchain games on Epic Games Store. The store received the first blockchain-based game in June.

Mojang does not completely exclude the possibility of incorporating blockchain technology into the future. However, it states that "we are not planning to integrate blockchain technology into Minecraft in the near future."

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