‘Minecraft’ just turned 15, and Twitch is celebrating

Ready to feel old? Minecraft just turned 15.

The top-selling sandbox title has reshaped its industry over the past 15 years, and Twitch is celebrating the game’s ongoing influence. It is paying homage to Minecraft‘s “milestone moment” with multiple activations, including a shelf on the Twitch homepage and a pair of in-game rewards.

Visitors to Twitch who engage with the shelf will be able to dive further into Minecraft mania on the game’s official Twitch hub, where creators will host special streams throughout the month of May. By visiting streamer channels within the Minecraft category and purchasing Subscriptions, Twitch viewers will receive a limited-time “Glitch Mask” giveaway. If they’d like to pair that face covering with a “Purple Heart Cape,” all they need to do is tune into a qualifying streamer for at least 15 minutes.

The end of May will bring more goodies to Twitch’s Minecraft community. Exclusive emotes and badges will be gifted to viewers who watch a tagged Minecraft stream during the final week of the month.

“Twitch has always been the place where Minecraft communities come to escape the real world and build virtual worlds together,” reads a blog post. “So what better place to celebrate Minecraft’s anniversary than right here on Twitch?”

Minecraft did not receive an official release until 2011, but its original “Java Edition” first became available in May 2009. Minecraft hasn’t done much since then — except for selling 300 million copies, becoming the best-selling video game of all time, and inspiring a creative revolution on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Even now, it still ranks among the most-streamed games online.

Regular updates and new features have given Minecraft staying power 15 years after its arrival on the gaming scene. When it hit its tenth anniversary, we talked to creator Tyler Pappas — also known as Logdotzip — about the qualities that have helped Minecraft stay relevant. “There were so many great additions added to the game to make Minecraft feel fresh, new, but not out of place,” Pappas said at the time. “Returning players could feel at home with a newfound sense of adventure to discover everything new in the game.”

No matter how sophisticated video games become, there are still millions of people who enjoy the simple joys of a Minecraft session. 15 years is impressive, but I won’t be surprised if we’re still dodging creepers and forging diamond swords a decade from now.