Early details on the next iteration of MineCon were released this week. And for 2017, Mojang’s annual celebration of all things Minecraft related will be presented a bit differently than its predecessors, but the changes will make it possible for more fans to attend MineCon Earth – the name of this year’s show – than any Minecraft convention to date.
As the name implies, MineCon Earth is Microsoft and Mojang’s first attempt at really opening up the annual convention to anyone around the globe who wants to attend. There will still be some costs involved, like having an internet-connected phone, tablet or computer, but even those can be mitigated to some degree. But the idea is to host a convention that doesn’t require travel to places like London or Vegas, as fun as they might be, and without the safety restrictions that force organizers to cap each show’s attendance. Instead, Mojang will use streaming platforms like Mixer, Twitch and YouTube to make MineCon available to as wide an audience as possible.
According to Mojang, it won’t cost anything to watch this year’s MineCon. The studio has yet to confirm which platforms it will/won’t work with or how long MineCon Earth will run, but the team says Minecraft fans can expect “an interactive show that will take the best bits of our previous events and incorporate them into a condensed show.” A brief teaser for the event promises exclusive screenings (of what, we don’t know) and lots of Minecraft costumes. We don’t know much else about Mojang’s plans for MineCon Earth at this time, But we can confirm MineCon Earth will begin Saturday, Nov. 18, at 12 p.m. EDT.
For more on MineCon Earth, take a minute to watch the teaser trailer released on Tuesday. Then head down to the comments and let us know what you’re hoping to see on the MineCon schedule when the only official Minecraft convention returns in November.
Minecraft is currently available on PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Switch, Vita and a plethora of smart devices. MineCon Earth will begin on Nov. 18.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Minecraft coverage in 2017 and however long Microsoft and Mojang support Minecraft in the years ahead.
