New information on MineCon Earth is out this week, two months before the annual celebration of all things Minecraft -related goes global, but it sounds like Mojang and Microsoft are planning a much smaller schedule of events for 2017. And some fans might be disappointed by how much smaller the most accessible iteration of MineCon is turning out to be.
Last month, Mojang announced plans to overhaul its annual MineCon gathering. The changes were intended to make the event more accessible, by eliminating the ticket cap and need for long-distance travel, but it sounds like the transition to an online broadcast also means this year’s celebration will be significantly shorter than its predecessors. Mojang says MineCon Earth will only be a 90-minute broadcast, instead of the two-day gatherings in London, Orlando and other host cities. The studio is encouraging fans to attend local Viewing Parties to maintain some of the community spirit that made Minecraft so popular in the first place. Mojang also says Viewing Party attendees will be able to take part in special contests and win prizes during the event.
Viewing parties weren’t the only topic of conversation either. The latest word on MineCon Earth also included new information on Mojang’s annual cosplay contest, which will apparently go global this year. Minecraft fans are encouraged to create elaborate costumes, inspired by the beloved sandbox game, and record a short video of themselves wearing their creation(s). All video submissions must be submitted to the Minecraft Costume Contest website by Oct. 22. The top three creators will be decided by Mojang and flown out to participate in the MineCon Earth broadcast.
We still don’t know much else about Mojang’s plans for the 90-minute broadcast. Outside of the confirmed appearances from Minecraft cosplayers, it’s not clear how Mojang plans to compress a two-day convention into MineCon Earth’s 90-minute recording time. But the studio says it will release more information about the show as the date gets closer.
Minecraft is currently available on every major platform under the sun, including PS4, Xbox One, Switch and the recently released New 3DS port. MineCon Earth will air live on Nov. 18.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Minecraft news in 2017 and however long Microsoft and Mojang support Minecraft in the years ahead.
