Minecraft
News, coverage and analysis tracking Minecraft across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Minecraft village features, loot, trades, and how to find them
This guide details Minecraft villages, essential structures for loot and villager trades. It covers how to find villages, the five different types (Plains, Desert, Savanna, Taiga, Snowy Taiga), and the rare abandoned variants. The article also explains how to build your own village, highlights important villager houses like the Blacksmith and Library, and details valuable villager trades, particularly focusing on obtaining emeralds from Fletchers and enchanted books from Librarians.
All Minecraft Tiny Takeover Twitch drops and how to get them
The Minecraft Tiny Takeover event offers exclusive avatar customization items through Twitch drops from April 6 to April 15, 2027. Players can earn rewards like the Hatchling Hat, Bunny Beanie, and Turtle Tunes by watching five minutes of a live Minecraft stream on Twitch and redeeming a code on minecraft.net/redeem.
Why Some Xbox Hits Feel Closer to a Casino Floor Than an Arcade
Modern Xbox games increasingly utilize retention systems like loot boxes and battle passes, borrowing psychological tactics from casinos to encourage continued engagement. Titles such as EA SPORTS FC 25, Overwatch 2, and NBA 2K25 feature randomized acquisition, ladder progression, and collection pressure as core engagement mechanics. While not literal casinos, these games employ uncertainty and the promise of reward to keep players invested in their service and sports loops.
Sandbox RPG dev spends 5 years combining No Man's Sky with Minecraft in "voxel survival game where the world is a planet" in a solar system with "seamless" space travel, smashes Kickstarter goal in 3 hours
PlanetSmith, a sandbox RPG combining elements of No Man's Sky and Minecraft, has successfully surpassed its Kickstarter goal, raising over six times its target within three hours. Developed by Kenneth Ward under the pseudonym Incandescent Games, the game features procedurally generated spherical planets with seamless space travel and aims to offer a more engaging exploration experience than Minecraft. Alpha access is planned for April.
(For Southeast Asia) PlayStation Store: March 2026’s top downloads
PlayStation has revealed the top downloaded games for March 2026 across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation VR2. MLB The Show 26 led in the US and Canada, while Crimson Desert topped the charts in Asia. The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin dominated the free-to-play category.
Analysis Paralysis: How to Pick a Game When You Have 2 Hours
This article analyzes the phenomenon of 'analysis paralysis' in gaming, where having too many options leads to indecision and playing less. It explores psychological concepts like the paradox of choice and decision fatigue, offering practical strategies such as limiting installed games to three, matching energy levels to game demands, and using simple decision-making tricks to overcome backlog overwhelm. The piece also touches on recognizing when gaming paralysis might signal burnout or deeper issues.
Hypixel Makes Life Easier with Update 5 Part 2 Blog-Style Patch Notes
Hypixel has transitioned its patch notes for Update 5 Part 2 to a blog post format, making them more accessible and easier for players to find and reference. This change aims to improve the quality of life for the community, though some players have expressed concerns about potential searchability issues compared to the traditional format. The new system also includes a dedicated section for modders, highlighting Hypixel's commitment to supporting the broader Minecraft ecosystem.
Crimson Desert: Spire of the Stars Puzzle Guide
This guide for Crimson Desert focuses on its puzzles, acknowledging that while the game may not prioritize story, its narrative is slowly and uniquely told. The author compares the exploration-based gameplay to titles like Elden Ring and Minecraft, suggesting that the core appeal lies in discovery rather than plot.
Nintendo Switch eShop charts – April 4, 2026 – Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 overtakes Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
The Nintendo Switch eShop charts for the week of April 4, 2026, show Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 reclaiming the top spot, surpassing Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. This resurgence is attributed to renewed interest following the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Crimson Desert: Dragon Stone Chamber Puzzle Solution
This guide provides a solution for the Dragon Stone Chamber puzzle in Crimson Desert. While the game's story is delivered slowly, the core gameplay loop of exploration and puzzle-solving is highlighted as a primary draw, comparable to titles like Elden Ring and Minecraft.
PlayStation Store: March 2026’s top downloads
The PlayStation Store has revealed its top download charts for March 2026 across PS5, PS4, and PS VR2. MLB The Show 26 led in the US/Canada, while Crimson Desert topped the EU charts. The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin dominated the free-to-play category.
Crimson Desert: Traces of Intruder Quest Guide
This guide for Crimson Desert focuses on the 'Traces of Intruder' quest, acknowledging that while the game's narrative is slow-paced, it can become engaging over time. The article highlights that players may be drawn to Crimson Desert for its exploration elements, similar to games like Elden Ring and Valheim.
Embracer layoffs, Nintendo's patent problem, and is Baby Steps an Uncharted sequel? - Patch Notes #46
Several game development studios have announced layoffs and closures, including Embracer Group's Eidos Montreal and Ivy Road. Shinji Mikami has founded a new studio, Unbound Inc., with Shift Up. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is performing well at the box office, while Nintendo's patent for a sub-character combat mechanic has been rejected. Rec Room is shutting down due to profitability issues, and VR developer Polyarc has also made layoffs.
Dead By Daylight 2? No Way, We're Not Doing That, Dev Says
Behaviour Interactive, the developer of Dead by Daylight, has stated there are no plans for a numbered sequel to the live-service horror game. Creative director Dave Richard and head of partnerships Mathieu Cote explained that a sequel would not be fair to fans who have invested time and money into the current game. The studio is considering graphical updates to leverage new hardware, but acknowledges the challenges of leaving older players behind.
Xbox FanFest: Going on Tour for a 25th Anniversary Celebration
Xbox is embarking on a 25th Anniversary Celebration Tour for FanFest, visiting various locations. The article touches upon the importance of story in games, using titles like Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda as examples, but ultimately focuses on Crimson Desert's slow-paced narrative and its appeal as an exploration-based game similar to Minecraft and Valheim.
Famitsu software sales (3/23/26 – 3/29/26) – Top 30
Famitsu has released its Japanese software sales data for the week of March 23-29, 2026. Pokemon Pokopia on Nintendo Switch 2 leads the charts, followed by Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The data includes sales figures for various platforms including Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation 5.
Minecraft creator Notch says 'DLSS fundamentally makes no sense', but the X comments say 'um,…
Minecraft creator Markus Persson, also known as Notch, expressed skepticism about Nvidia's DLSS and Frame Generation technologies, stating they 'fundamentally make no sense.' He argued that using the same hardware to run a neural network for frame generation is illogical when the graphics card is already struggling. The article also touches on the evolution of graphics technology, including AI's role in rendering.
Minecraft introduces Herdcraft, Mojang's latest annual joke update, and suddenly I'm a pseudo-summoner with a…
Mojang Studios has released its annual April Fool's joke update for Minecraft, dubbed 'Herdcraft.' This humorous patch humorously deletes the player's inventory, making in-game items appear in the world and requiring players to use leads to manage them, akin to herding animals.
Starfield hits PS5 preorders: Elder Scrolls vibes incom... | TAG
Starfield is now available for preorder on PlayStation 5, with its release set for April 7, offering Standard and Premium editions. Mario Kart World on Nintendo Switch 2 has received a patch that nerfs the blue shell's frequency and speed. Aspyr has released a patch for Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered to address questionable outfit textures after fan criticism.
Minecraft Hacks Away A Major Chunk Of The Game With New Playable April Fools' Joke
Mojang has released a playable April Fools' joke update for Minecraft: Java Edition called 'Herdcraft'. This update removes the inventory system, causing items to follow players like sheep, and alters combat by allowing players to command weapons. The joke update is available via snapshots in the Minecraft Launcher.
