Minecraft is coming to China

Image by TIA. Original Minecraft man credit: Pixabay.

When we normally write about “blocks” and “China,” we’re writing bad news – but not today. Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, has announced that everyone’s favorite world-constructing game is coming to the People’s Republic.

The phone app and PC game will be coming to China via NetEase, the Chinese internet giant and news platform that has a soft spot for indie game developers.

Mojang says that it is developing “a version of Minecraft tailored for the Chinese market.” There is no word yet on what that tailoring might mean. It could be simple tweaks like language and interface localizations, or as complex as developing a China-only version of the game’s online community, as XBox has done with XBox Live in the country, where players are cut off from gamers abroad.

Minecraft will hardly be the only international game that NetEase has brought to China – it also manages the mainland operations of World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and others. NetEase has a five-year exclusive licensing agreement with Mojang to operate Minecraft in China.

Mojang is originally from Sweden. It was purchased by Microsoft for US$2.5 billion in 2014, and Microsoft was party to the negotiations with NetEase.

The companies haven’t yet announced an official release date for Minecraft in China. Chinese miners should keep their hammers at the ready.