Put away your pickaxe and bring out your party outfit! Minecraft is celebrating its 15th birthday.
Minecraft has been one of the most popular games for years, captivating millions of players every day. On May 17, 2009, it was released under the name Cave Game by Notch. At that time, he probably didn't even imagine that his game would become so big and beloved. I mean, can you even find someone nowadays who hasn't heard of Minecraft?
This year, Minecraft turned 15 years old and the Mojang team has come up with something special. To celebrate the anniversary properly, exclusive sales, maps, and other events were made available over the course of 15 days. Additionally, there was a new Character Creator item available for free in the Bedrock Edition every day.
Minecraft: The 15-Day Birthday Journey
The party started even before Minecraft's actual birthday, specifically on May 15, 2024. As you might have noticed, everything revolved around the number 15. But let's take a closer look at what the Mojang team planned.
The celebration began on May 15 with a big sale, as there's no better way to launch a game's celebration than with generous discounts for players. The following day, the spotlight shifted a bit from the base game's celebration as Java Realms marked its 10th anniversary. Happy Birthday to you too, Realms! To commemorate this milestone, a free community map was released. Feel free to check it out!
By the third day, May 17, excitement for the birthday reached its peak. As a first little gift, players in the Minecraft: Bedrock Edition were able to claim an exclusive anniversary cape from the Dressing Room. But it wasn't just the developers who came up with something special for the birthday. The main stars of the new Minecraft Movie, Jack Black and Jason Momoa, also joined in.
Now, altogether: Happy Birthday to you! On May 18, everyone joined in the celebration. Viewers had the opportunity to participate in various Twitch streams and secure themselves a Twitch cape and a Twitch hat.The fifth day was a fantastic day for all Minecraft fashion enthusiasts because exclusive anniversary outfits are now available, such as special t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, and activewear. So if you're a huge fan, you'd better act fast!
Let The Party Begin
Now let's move on to the truly exciting events. While clothing and accessories have their charm, playing the game itself is always the most fun. That's why the developers have come up with a new, nostalgic map crafted to evoke the beautiful memories of the many Minecraft moments. And the developers really have thought of everything, believe me!
For Day 6, the developers collaborated with Oreville Studios to create a museum showcasing a diverse array of creatures, biomes, and villagers. This allows you to relive your most thrilling experiences up close!
Adding to the excitement are the numerous mini-games that the team has integrated. Some of them feel worse than fighting the Ender Dragon! But they're still fun nonetheless. However, the highlight is that the entire map is available for free on the Marketplace!
While the museum brings back the fondest memories, it still lacks that special touch. That's why on Day 7, a free Party Add-On was released, complete with various party accessories. These include a special cake, banners, and more. But my absolute favorite is the party hat! Who doesn't love wearing a crazy party hat on their birthday?
And of course, for gaming, the appropriate setup is essential even in real life. Luckily, on Day 8, the Mojang team announced a special gaming setup collection, featuring three different types of keyboards and other gaming accessories. They will be available starting May 29 at 12 PM PT / 9 PM CET on the HiGround website.
On the following day, May 23, the team unveiled a Microsoft Classic Games makeover of Mahjong and Solitaire. Both have received cool Minecraft designs. Additionally, there was a celebration crossover with Forza Horizon 5. There, we can now pick up 2 Minecraft helmets until the end of the year, and in Minecraft's Dressing Room, we can pick up a new Character Creator item, the Forza TANK Hoodie, until June 23, 2024.
The After Party
While it's a bit unusual to receive gifts at an after-party, we certainly won't complain. For day 10, the Mojang team teamed up with LEGO and sent some LEGO Brickerite ore blocks to selected creators. These include all the LEGO Minecraft bricks required to replicate unique Minecraft moments in real life. If you want to see how the creators mine the block, be sure to check out the following: Cara aka CaptainPuffy, frogcrafting, Sylvee, and TrixyBlox. You can also build your own LEGO Minecraft moments and share them on LEGO Ideas.
For May 25th, Day 11, the team has come up with something mysterious. Together with the community, they are assembling a time capsule that will only be opened on the 30th anniversary, so in 15 years. If you want to participate, you'll need to visit the different social media platforms and cast your vote there. The time capsule will become part of our existing installation at the Microsoft Visitor Center in Redmond, WA.
Art enthusiasts are especially fortunate today because on Day 12, the Mojang team shared a mini-documentary featuring 5 renowned artists bringing the Minecraft world into the real world. If you keep your eyes open, you'll surely see many more artists who draw inspiration from Minecraft.
In Minecraft history, battles can be found everywhere, whether in single-player mode or on large online servers. For Day 13, Minecraft and MC Championship have teamed up to organize a big battle live event. This summer, 40 streamers will compete against each other in 8 mini-games. The exact date and channels will be announced on the MCC channels. But players will also have a two-week live event for the Bedrock Edition where they can prove themselves in various mini-games. Details about the player event will be announced soon on the Minecraft website.
National Park
In Minecraft, the environment and animals hold great significance, which is why the Mojang team has partnered with the nonprofit organization 'The Nature Conservancy' on day 14, dedicated to climate advocacy and raising awareness about climate change. In this context, they've created a Minecraft National Park and donated $100,000 to The Nature Conservancy.
The MC National Park will feature a Central Visiting Center area, built by no other than us. From May 27 to June 27, a building competition will take place, open to all players. Minecraft has provided a template for this in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition in the Market Place. Once you've finished building, record a video and share it on one of your social media channels (X, IG, YT, or TikTok) with the hashtag #MinecraftMonument24. Make sure to review the rules beforehand.
In addition to the Central Visiting Center, there will also be 9 different sub-biomes with multiple park ranger stations. The map is expected to be released in the fall of this year.
As they say, "save the best for last." The event concluded with a major announcement: Over the next months and possibly even years, Minecraft will be hosting IRL events. So, while we might not be able to enter the game, the game can come to us. It's all part of the Minecraft Experience: Villager Rescue, kicking off first in Dallas, Texas on September 20. More cities will be announced later on. The pre-sale took place on May 29, and regular sales began on June 3. With some luck, you might still snag a ticket. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Free Character Creator Item
If you missed a day, don't worry. The Character Creator items are available throughout the entire event. So far, you can get the following in the Bedrock Edition Dressing Room:
- Cave Game Hoodie
- Crafting Cap
- Ender Hood
- Emerald Expert
- Redstone Coat
- Toe Guardians
- Fleece Friends
- Llama Hat
- Parrot Slippers
- Coral Blouse
- Bee Boots
- Nether pants
- Cozy Cave Dress
- Allay Bandana
- Cherry Shawl
These are all the events that Mojang has prepared for us. As a grand finale, it was announced that Minecraft and Netflix have teamed up to work on an animated film with a completely new story and characters. So, let's stay tuned.