Why and when was Minecraft Earth shut down?

Minecraft's augmented reality spinoff Minecraft Earth will be shutting down as of June 30, 2021 due to "the current global situation" according to Mojang, likely referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mojang stated in a January 5, 2021 announcement that Minecraft Earth was predicated on free movement and collaborative play. Due to health guidelines and social distancing practices throughout the world, Mojang stated that they did not believe Minecraft Earth's core emphasis was being met due to the complications of a global pandemic.

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Mojang has ceased all content and service support as of June 30, meaning the game is no longer in a playable state or downloadable from the Apple and Google app stores.

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Minecraft: What is left with Minecraft Earth gone?

Image via Mojang - (Minecraft)

With Minecraft Earth going under, Mojang has committed to reallocating its resources to its other Minecraft properties. How exactly they'll move around their money and manpower invested in Minecraft Earth is unclear, but there are still plenty of properties that Mojang retains that are still being constantly updated and developed.

There are of course Minecraft's Java and Bedrock editions, which are developed on PC and console platforms. There's Minecraft's Pocket Edition, developed for mobile devices.

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There's also Minecraft's Education Edition, which is used specifically for classroom environments. Lastly, there's Minecraft Dungeons, which is more of an action RPG game than a block builder like the original.

Telltale Games has also published Minecraft Story Mode, but this series of story-based episodes reached its conclusion shortly after LCG Entertainment acquired Telltale's assets and there has been no news about a revival.

With so much content being released for the original Minecraft editions, it is likely that some programmers and managers will revert back to the main franchise entry. However, it's entirely possible that Mojang may reallocate its resources to a project that has yet to be announced.

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Everything is left under the umbrella of speculation until more information is released, but Mojang isn't a company known to squander the capabilities of its development teams.

Since so many games are currently being updated and developed at once by Mojang and backed by Microsoft, there is always more going on behind the scenes than the player base can truly be aware of.

Only time will tell if Minecraft Earth's demise bolsters the original properties or allows for a future expansion, but make no mistake that the Minecraft community will keep their eyes and ears open for any and all developments.

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