A bevy of new Minecraft features were confirmed during Microsoft’s E3 Briefing, including one (cross-play) that few in the Minecraft community likely expected to see during the annual press conference. But backend changes weren’t the only big news for Minecraft fans this weekend.
Everyone’s favorite sandbox game is getting a visual upgrade.
Both of the big announcements during the Minecraft portion of the show came as something of a shock. First, Mojang’s Lydia Winters confirmed Minecraft fans on a plethora of platforms will soon be able to enjoy the game together. Those using the original PC version, the recently released Nintendo Switch port, Pocket Edition and/or the Xbox 360/One builds will soon be able to play on the same servers. Server capacity will also be expanded; however, we still don’t know how many people can connect when the changes roll out. The Community Marketplace, a new repository of fan-made content similar to Bethesda’s Creation Club, will also be made available on all platforms, giving the entire Minecraft community an assortment of new content to enjoy.
Microsoft and Mojang also announced a visual update for the thriving sandbox game -- called the Super Duper Graphics Pack -- that will emerge sometime this fall. Once again, specifics were pretty limited. But the teaser footage shown during Microsoft’s E3 Briefing seemed to confirm a handful of noteworthy additions, including an improved lighting engine, new textures for most of the game’s blocks and better reflections in the water. Other changes will presumably be included in the Super Duper Graphics pack too but we’ll have to wait to learn more.
For an early look at Minecraft ’s upcoming Super Duper Graphics Pack, take a few minutes to watch the announcement-filled trailer that aired during Microsoft’s E3 Briefing. Then head down to the comments section and let us know if you’re planning to take advantage of the game’s new cross-play features when the feature is released to the PC, Xbox 360/One, Nintendo Switch and smart phone builds later this year.
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.
