Java Edition is moving house

We know change can be inconvenient. Just ask us what happened when the office ran out of our regular coffee beans for one day. Actually, it’s better if you don’t. Let’s talk about another Java altogether. 

Change can also pave the way for a better future. That’s why we’ve decided that moving forward, all of our games will require a Microsoft account to play – including Minecraft Java Edition. Why? Think of it as moving house; when you outgrow one place, you move on to the next. It involves a logistic effort, but once you’re settled in your new home, you realize you’d do it ten times over just for that extra room. Except in our case, the extra room is all of these features, from which all Microsoft accounts will benefit: 

• Increased security for your account with two-factor authentication. In other words, it’s harder for someone to access your account without your permission.   

• All your PC Minecraft games will be connected to the same account. Currently, that’s Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons, but who knows what we'll do next?   

• Improved parental controls to help keep kids safe when playing online.   

• Chat and invitation blocking.   

Now just to be clear, migrating from Mojang to Microsoft accounts is mandatory. If you don’t make the move, in several months you won’t be able to log in anymore – which means you won’t be able to play either. But no need to worry, because we’ll give you detailed and clear instructions on how to do so. You’ll get the information you need through this site, an FAQ on our support page, videos on our YouTube channel, and even emails straight to your inbox.

After you’ve moved, everything you love about Java will still be there. You’ll still be able to create and use mods and skins (while keeping your existing ones, of course), as well as play with friends on Java servers (regardless of version). You’ll also keep your Minecraft Java username, and new players will still get to choose their Minecraft username. The only difference? You’ll receive a cool reward once you’ve logged in with your Microsoft account: a special cape! This way, everyone will know that you were there for the big move and that you have an impeccable sense of fashion. And who knows? You might even have more than one outfit to show off – but we’ll tell you more about that later down the road. 

In case you’re skimming through this post looking for something informative and entertaining, here it is! Our own Nathan “Dinnerbone” Adams held a special presentation on what this transition means for Java players. How special? For starters, he’s actually standing upright this time, but I’ll let you discover the rest for yourself:

So when will this transition happen? If you already have Java or a Mojang account, you will have to start moving accounts in early 2021. New players who are getting Java for the first time will create Microsoft accounts rather than Mojang accounts starting this fall. How will it go down? Here is an overview of the process: 

• Since we have a large Java player community, we’ll need to move players to Microsoft accounts in batches. But everyone will get moved, and you’ll get an opportunity to participate and receive your cape! Or is that capes? Hmm.
• You’ll get an email that will include instructions on how to move your account. We won’t send the email to everyone at the same time – so don’t panic if your friend got it and you didn’t. Everyone will get their turn.
• Once you have completed the steps, you’ll use your Microsoft account to log in to Minecraft going forward. You’ll no longer be able to log in using your Mojang account.
• You’ll receive your cape as our way of thanking you for the effort.

This might be a bit much to take in all at once, which is why we went through the trouble of putting together a (bad) haiku to sum up all the benefits: 

Great security, 

All games under one account, 

Same Java, with cape. 

So if you find yourself feeling like this transition is a hassle (but let’s be honest, it really isn’t – and that’s coming from a group of people who have had structured debates over who should order lunch), recite this short poem to get through. You’ll be back to mining, crafting, and modding in no time.