After weeks of rumors and speculation, Microsoft has officially announced that it’ll be acquiring Minecraft and its developer, Mojang, for $2.5 billion. According to a statement released by Microsoft, The Mojang team will join Microsoft Studios and the company plans to continue making the game available across all platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation.
One of the most popular games of all time, Minecraft has over 100-million downloads on PC alone since its launch in 2009 and quickly became the top online game on Xbox Live with over two-billion hours played on the Xbox 360 over the last two years.
Along with the news of the acquisition, Mojang has announced that Minecraft creator Notch will no longer be part of the company as “he’s decided that he doesn’t want the responsibility of owning a company of such global significance.”
“Gaming is a top activity spanning devices, from PCs and consoles to tablets and mobile, with billions of hours spent each year,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “Minecraft is more than a great game franchise – it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft.”
Learn more about Microsoft buying Minecraft and Mojang in the video below.
