The Minecraft community is in a state of turmoil following significant changes to the game’s End-User License Agreement (EULA) implemented by Mojang on August 2. The amendments, which have been described as “full 1984” by some players.
Mojang announced the EULA update via a blog post, but the news was not widely disseminated, leaving many players unaware of the changes. This update marks the first EULA revision in three years, with the previous one dating back to April 17, 2020.
The changes have been particularly alarming for players and Minecraft streamers who operate Minecraft servers. A Reddit post dissecting the implications of the EULA updates for the future of Minecraft noted that the changes “discourage existing server owners and upcoming server owners” from engaging with Minecraft.
The new guidelines grant “Mojang full control over shutting down years of hard work for any reason whatsoever.”
According to a report from Minecraft.net, the EULA changes were intended to “update the language and voice, remove Mojang Accounts terms as we’ve migrated to Microsoft Accounts, reference some recent Minecraft offerings and services, more clearly integrate our community standards, and remove specific things that are already covered in the Microsoft Services Agreement.”
The updated EULA includes numerous specific changes, with the overarching theme being that Mojang now essentially has total control over all online Minecraft content. This is the primary reason for the players’ concerns. The EULA states:
“All permissions and consents are given by us at our discretion and may be revoked at any time if we think that it is appropriate to do so, or we don’t like what you are doing.”
One significant change is that any server featuring a player queue, such as the popular 2builders2tools (2b2t) server, is now in violation of Minecraft’s EULA rules. The EULA specifies that access to any server:
“Can’t be limited to or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a player owning or having access to out-of-game content, products, or services.”
The use of the term ‘Minecraft’ in player-created content is now heavily regulated. Players are prohibited from using the Minecraft name as the primary or dominant name or title in their creative work. Mojang provided examples to clarify this point, approving titles like “Kotoba Miners: A Minecraft server for Redstone builds” or “The Shaft – a Minecrafter’s podcast,” while disapproving of titles like “Minecraft – the ultimate Kotoba server for Redstone” or “Minecraft – the ultimate help app.”
All Minecraft servers must now be suitable for “all ages” without exception. This rule seems to be a response to a recent controversy involving the server Grand Theft Minecraft (GTM), where Mojang ruled against allowing guns on servers. This rule now appears to apply to any content deemed unsuitable for all ages.
The updated EULA has introduced numerous other rules, and players who are aware of them have been urging Mojang to reverse them due to their perceived vagueness and restrictiveness. The general consensus among players is that Minecraft is meant to be an endless sandbox for creativity, and the new rules impose harsh limits that contradict the game’s core philosophy.
Despite the outcry from players, Mojang has yet to respond. For now, players are advised to review the EULA carefully and monitor the type of Minecraft content they produce.
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