Minecraft Will Require A Microsoft Account To Play In 2022
Minecraft players have been able to play without a Microsoft account for the past six years that the company has owned the game, but that will change in 2021, the official Minecraft blog announced yesterday. If you own the original game, and have not switched to a Microsoft account, you will be unable play.
The game has existed in two separately developed versions since its 2011 launch on consoles. The original Minecraft: Java Edition used Mojang accounts. Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, which is the name for the console version and Windows store version, used Microsoft accounts. After this change, the accounts will be the same, but there's still no crossplay: you still won't be able to play with friends using the other version of the game.
Mojang says players migrating from Mojang accounts will not lose any information and that the new accounts will offer two-factor authentication (2FA) and other safety features previously available in the Bedrock Edition of the game, like parental controls and the ability to block chats and invitations - a concern for younger players on multiplayer servers.
In the coming months, players can expect to be emailed several times with information on how to migrate. Additionally, they will receive an additional notification to their profile page when they are able to create a brand new account. Mojang also posted a video explaining the switch to help players avoid any complaints.
Anyone concerned should be aware that the video is reassuring regarding compatibility between user-generated content (and multiplayer), but it also makes big assumptions about how positive you'll feel. The video doesn't mention anything that could bother players: usernames for Java Edition may change.
Mojang has made clear that your username will not be affected by the change in support articles. However, if someone already uses your name for a Gamertag they'll have to agree to the addition of a suffix (e.g. minecraftfan #1734) or choose a new one to log-in with. Names that don’t conform to Microsoft’s safety guidelines might also have to be changed. The added suffix might become more common as there's likely less names to choose from, especially given the eight years console players have had to snap them up. Feah
Mojang claims that it was simpler to use Microsoft accounts than to create these new features from scratch. But if they are so important, why did it take so long for them to arrive? Two-factor authentication has been requested by players for as long as the game offered a place to sell and buy content. That's three years if you count. Protecting your virtual objects from theft seems like an important enough reason to prompt a change, but it didn't until now. I can't help but wonder if this is an issue Microsoft forced, simplifying the management of their biggest game before the launch of next-generation consoles.
While not as incendiary as Facebook's decision to require Facebook accounts for the use of Oculus headsets, Minecraft is still one of the biggest games in the world and now many players will have to take action if they still want to play.
Correction: An earlier version stated that usernames must be changed if the same name is already used as a Gamertag. Due to an update to Microsoft's account system last year, identical names are given suffixes to differentiate from each other rather than requiring users to change to a new name. We regret this error.
