‘Minecraft’ takes hard line on NFTs, other promotions with policy changes for creators

Some changes are coming to Minecraft. In an update to the game’s End-User License Agreement (EULA), Microsoft (which acquired Minecraft developer Mojang in 2014) revealed new rules governing creators, their usage of the game, and their promotional strategies.

Some tech companies are embracing crypto tokens, but those assets don’t currently have a place in Minecraft. Among other updates, Microsoft is making it harder for creators to run promotions based around NFTs. The new rules discuss “a mod that checks if a player owns an NFT to unlock skins, functions, or other in-game experiences” as an example of something that’s “not OK.”

Microsoft is cracking down on other forms of promotion as well. Creators of Minecraft worlds, mods, and servers are prohibited from using those entities to promote brands, products, and services. If you replicate TV or film characters using Minecraft blocks, run a political campaign in the game, or include brand-name automobiles, you could run afoul of Microsoft’s latest stipulations.

Microsoft’s decision to discourage branded partnerships within Minecraft is a very different approach from the one adopted by rival game Roblox. The team behind that sandbox has emerged as a gateway to the metaverse. As big-name brands have come on board, creators have profited.

But for Minecraft, Microsoft seems interested in distancing the game from its community of creators. The updated EULA provides examples of both approved and disapproved video titles. The goal of those guidelines is to make it clear that creator content is not officially produced by the Minecraft team itself.

The current Minecraft usage rules can be found here. The guidelines stipulate that Microsoft and Mojang retain all rights to the popular game and its IP, though creators are encouraged to submit partnership proposals if they want an official stamp of approval.