4J Studios, the developer behind Minecraft Console Editions, announces their own sandbox engine and teases upcoming game

Minecraft: Legacy Console Edition was once the primary version of the game on consoles before it was phased out for Mojang's Bedrock Edition. However, many players still have a fondness for those older versions of the game. Fans may be delighted to hear that on May 22, 2024, the developer, 4J Studios, shared a new voxel engine they plan to use for an upcoming game.

Dubbed the Elements Engine, 4J Studios shared a YouTube clip on X showing some aspects of the engine and confirmed in the description of the video that it would be used in an upcoming game. The developers who helped shape fans' childhoods by working on Minecraft's Legacy Console Edition appear to be striking out and developing a competitor to the world's foremost sandbox game.

"Introducing the Elements Engine from 4J Studios, a proprietary voxel sandbox engine that harnesses the incredible power of the newest generation of consoles and graphics cards. This is a first look at the powerful technology that will be used to create 4J Studios' next game." - 4J Studios, YouTube, May 22, 2024

The short trailer showed worlds of non-cubic voxels and featured intriguing lighting and water physics as well as destruction physics not unlike the popular Physics Mod for Minecraft Java. What appears to be a world painting tool was also shown alongside images of castles, Egyptian Sphinxes, and buildings being copied and pasted in cities.

While the full clip was only one minute and thirteen seconds in length, the Elements Engine seems to show some promise. It's unclear what 4J Studios' future game will be and how it will utilize the engine, but it's safe to assume that the game will incorporate many of the lessons that the studio learned while working on Minecraft: Legacy Console Edition.

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Could 4J Studios' history with Minecraft give it an edge in the survival crafting genre?

Voxels being shattered in the Elements Engine in a similar sense to the Minecraft Physics Mod. (Image via 4J Studios/YouTube)

While it should be noted that the Elements Engine isn't representative of a finished game when it comes to physics, graphics, and more, it does offer a framework for the future. Given the fact that many Minecraft fans have a deep appreciation of the Legacy Console Edition and 4J Studios implemented the edition across multiple platforms, could this be a sign of the 4J's future game?

Even though an engine is only one piece of the puzzle of developing a game, a well-made one can allow for something truly special to be created. With Minecraft being undoubtedly the most popular sandbox title in the industry and the highest-grossing video game of all time, 4J Studios' hand in the process may have helped it learn plenty of lessons and processes for creating an independent voxel title.

Though it would be premature to say whether 4J Studios' game would be comparable to Mojang's sandbox game or not, 4J does have the experience to form a recipe for success for a voxel game. For lovers of 4J Studios' portfolio at Mojang, the Elements Engine and the upcoming game are worth keeping an eye on.