It’s hard to believe that Minecraft is almost 10 years old. We can still recall our very first steps in the block world – tree punching, crafting and exploring the depths of the earth. For these memories, we have to thank the game’s father Marcus ‘Notch’ Persson who single-handedly created the concept behind the famous game, which later turned out to be a worldwide phenomenon. However, Notch won’t be a part of Minecraft’s 10-year anniversary event.
If you need a refresher, Marcus ‘Notch’ Persson sold his studio Mojang, alongside its hit game Minecraft, to Microsoft for 2.5 billion dollars in 2014. According to Microsoft, Marcus wasn’t involved with Minecraft’s further development ever since he sold the studio and rights, but that’s not the main reason why Microsoft decided to exclude the father of the game from a 10-year anniversary event.
According to Microsoft’s spokesperson, the decision was made in light of his late comments on Twitter. These include transphobic and racist statements to the community of 3.7 million followers.
“His comments and opinions do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang and are not representative of ‘Minecraft,” – Microsoft representative told Variety.
Last month, the company also had to remove accidental login screen reference to the game’s creator, so this is not the first time Microsoft is trying to keep their distance from Marcus Persson.
The 10-year anniversary event is scheduled for the 17th of May. The press event will be streamed live from Mojang’s studio in Stockholm in which the developers will talk about the game’s past present and future.
