Highlights

  • Minecraft 2 could offer a fresh identity and major updates without compromising the original game's charm.
  • A sequel could preserve nostalgic structures and introduce advanced dungeons and revised Minecraft features.
  • Limiting updates on the original game and creating a sequel could prevent overcomplication and maintain player excitement.

Minecraft just hit its 15th anniversary this year, and it's still going strong with constant annual updates. Given the game's age, as well as Mojang's continued push for spin-off games, it might be worth it for Minecraft to finally get a true sequel.

Mojang has been making some major changes to Minecraft — not only with its ongoing plans to change combat and villagers, but the tectonic introduction of the trial chambers in 1.21. These gauntlets of mobs and traps do a lot different when compared to past dungeons, showcasing a modern design philosophy more in line with the structures of a game like Terraria — a philosophy that really works for the game.

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Minecraft 2 Is An Idea With A Lot Going For It

The concept of a Minecraft 2 has long been both setup and punchline, more of an April Fools gag than something players really want. Minecraft's consistent stream of updates have made it something of a live service, an incredibly popular game with ongoing retention and continuous marketplace revenue. In this sense, there seems to be little reason for those making the game or those playing it to want an entirely new title, one that goes beyond a spin-off and towards a replacement. On the other hand, with how much Minecraft is changing, a true sequel could be the better avenue for some huge shakeups to the base game's structure.

A Minecraft 2 Would Preserve Old Features

There's a lot that could be updated in Minecraft, much of which probably should be updated from an objective perspective, but there is a genuine value in keeping some things the same. Structures are a big one, with strongholds, nether fortresses, jungle temples, and more seeming outdated in recent years. Despite this, their older design and dated blocks can't help but provoke a sense of nostalgia that overpowers a need for the new. The simple corridors and impotent traps can't help but be charming, and it's worth keeping them around to show off just how far the game has come.

However, it's still worth updating the flawed aspects of Minecraft, which is where a sequel could come in. A sequel could make as much room for advanced dungeons and newly-revised Minecraft structures as would be desired, all without compromising the identity of the original game. A new game could be given a new design principle, one built from the ground up with an even stronger core loop than what already exists in Minecraft.

Heaping Too Many Updates On Minecraft Could Cause Problems

On that subject, there's a real value in limiting how much Minecraft is updated by bringing about a sequel. Updates are great, they keep the game fresh and can breathe life into underdeveloped areas of the world. On the other hand, more and more sub-systems being brought into the game could, again, compromise its identity. Mojang should still maintain those experiences that made so many love Minecraft in the first place; the fear of the first night, the giddy joy at seeing the glint of diamonds in a cave, the dream of building a sprawling castle, and more are all things that still excite new players, and these feelings should be preserved rather than obscured.

A sequel would not only allow for sweeping revisions to Minecraft, but a bottom-up reassessment of what does and doesn't work about the game. Through this process, a whole new identity could be forged, one that could be even more successful than the existing title. While the latter concept is something of a pipe dream, a new game that really goes out of its way to create and maintain a strong new identity could stand on its own in a way no spin-off has so far.