It’s taken 14-and-a-half years, but Minecraft YouTuber KurtJMac has finally reached the Far Lands.
In an attempt so bodacious it even has its own Wikipedia page, KurtJMac kicked off his journey back in March 2011 after Minecraft creator Markus Persson suggested it was “impossible” to get there. And while KurtJMac may not be the first person to have reached the outer edges of the procedurally generated world, his attempt is one of the most famous, taking almost 15 years to achieve and crossing the line on October 4. He even holds a Guinness World Record for the Longest Journey in Minecraft without using cheats or exploits, and has raised over half a million dollars for charity.
The Far Lands technically no longer exist, having been patched out of Minecraft ages ago, but they were discovered after a terrain generation bug created a strange wall-like structure, essentially signalling the very edge of the world. You can see the moment KurtJMac realized he reached the Far Lands on his YouTube channel at 3:43:27 on the video “FLoB-a-Thon — Day 69 — THE FAR LANDS.” He thought he was getting close — unless his balloons had been waiting there for over a decade! — and after acknowledging the game felt “a little bit laggy,” the mythical wall came into view.
“Ohhhhh!” he cried when he saw it. “Who had their bets on Ocean Biome?! Good gravy!”
“We may not be the first people to have reached the Far Lands,” KurtJMac continued, “but in my book we are absolutely the first to have brought along such an amazing community, a generous community, and I would not have changed any of it to have gotten here any sooner. And I very much appreciate all of you being here.”
So what happens next? As KurtJMac put it: “I’m just gonna ever westward, forever forward!”
Last week, Minecraft announced a major new game update, Mounts of Mayhem, that will be spearheaded by the addition of, well, a spear. The sharp-tipped stick is the first new weapon added to Minecraft in some time, and the first new tiered item — one that is available in progressively more durable variants — added since the hoe, back in 2010. It’ll introduce some interesting new gameplay possibilities, including jousting.
For now, Minecraft fans can busy themselves with the game’s latest update, The Copper Age, which is out now and adds those adorable friendly copper golems.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
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