Minecraft to Ban NFTs from Platform

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Minecraft is updating its usage guidelines to disallow the use of NFTs or any other blockchain technologies in its game, the company announced Wednesday.

“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our client and server applications, nor may Minecraft in-game content such as worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods, be utilized by blockchain technology to create a scarce digital asset,” Minecraft said in a statement.

NFT Worlds, a blockchain-based gaming platform built on Minecraft, said it has spoken with Minecraft’s intellectual property department “multiple times in the past” and they “never clearly indicated that anything we were doing was going to be ruled on (or) restricted.”

“We are as blindsided as you are,” said NFT Worlds in a Discord announcement.

The price of $WRLD, NFT Worlds native token, fell 58 percent to $0.015, and the floor price of the Worlds land NFT fell to 0.63 ETH after the statement was released. The floor price was 3.4 ETH about 24 hours ago.

Several projects including CryptoDads, Forgotten Runes, and Axolittles have games and communities built on NFT Worlds.

NFT Worlds plans on contacting officials at Microsoft, Minecraft’s parent company, for more clarification on the guidelines. It is not clear how Minecraft will enforce its new guidelines.

“In the event that we do have to change the NFT Worlds product, we will do our best to do so,” the project said. “Pivoting startups into new models/products to adapt to market conditions is something we're very familiar with, so that part doesn't worry us at all.”

Minecraft said it made the changes due to the "scarcity and exclusion" created by NFTs, calling them "not inclusive of all our community." the company was also "concerned" about the reliability of NFTs and "instances where NFTs were sold at artificially or fraudulently inflated prices."

"The speculative pricing and investment mentality around NFTs takes the focus away from playing the game and encourages profiteering, which we think is inconsistent with the long-term joy and success of our players," the company said.

The company said it will be "paying close attention" to blockchain technology and how it "evolves over time."

"However, we have no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft right now," it said.

Look for more updates from Lucky Trader as this story develops.

Author Bio

TD Marquis

A veteran journalist and editor with more than a decade's worth of experience, TD helped a small community newspaper in Vermont win a New England Newspaper Association Right to Know Award in 2014. TD helped compile five years' worth of invoices to uncover a long-established practice of small-town government officials paying themselves six figures to do small jobs around town. TD discovered NFTs with Top Shot in 2021 and his first NFTs on ETH were saving two Mooncats. He is now the proud owner of Rowhome #61 and 1,300 other NFTs of questionable value. He also sent 4 ETH to a fake Mekaverse site and wants Lucky Trader readers to avoid the same fate.

Disclaimer: The author or members of the Lucky Trader staff may own NFTs discussed in this post. Furthermore, the information contained on this website or the Lucky Trader mobile application is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as financial advice. AI may have assisted in the creation of this content.