Markus “Notch” Persson said Minecraft had grown beyond the project he intended to make, and he no longer wanted the responsibility and pressure of owning a company with worldwide significance. Microsoft announced its $2.5 billion agreement to acquire Mojang on September 15, 2014, but the available public explanations do not establish that the money was Persson’s primary personal motive.
What Microsoft bought—and when
Microsoft announced an agreement to acquire Mojang, the Stockholm-based developer of Minecraft, for $2.5 billion on September 15, 2014. It said Mojang would join Microsoft Studios. The price was the announced acquisition amount, not evidence on its own of why Persson chose to sell. Microsoft’s announcement
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Minecraft - Nintendo Switch | $29.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Minecraft: Switch Edition | $32.65 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Minecraft Legends Deluxe Edition | $49.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Minecraft | Standard Edition | XBOX Digital Code | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Minecraft | Java & Bedrock Deluxe Collection | Windows Digital Code | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The transaction came while Minecraft had become a major game across platforms. Microsoft reported in 2014 that the game had more than 100 million PC downloads since its 2009 launch, that Xbox 360 players had logged more than 2 billion hours during the prior two years, and that nearly 90 percent of paid PC customers had signed in during the preceding 12 months. Those are company-reported figures from 2014; downloads are not the same as paid copies, and none of these measures establishes Persson’s personal reason for selling. Microsoft’s announcement
Why Persson said he wanted to leave
Mojang’s announcement, reproduced by GeekWire on the day of the deal, said Minecraft had grown from a simple game into “a project of monumental significance,” beyond what Persson had intended. It said he did not want the responsibility of owning a company with that reach and that the pressure of owning Minecraft had become too much. The explanation framed the sale as a response to scale and responsibility, not to a failing game. GeekWire’s contemporaneous report
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
- Explore randomly generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
- Play on the go in handheld or tabletop modes
- Includes Super Mario Mash-Up, Natural Texture Pack, Biome Settlers Skin Pack, Battle & Beasts Skin Pack, Campfire Tales Skin Pack; Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
In a contemporaneous account of Persson’s personal blog, WIRED described him as overwhelmed by the game’s growth and the public attention around it. Persson wrote, “I don’t want to be a symbol, responsible for something huge that I don’t understand.” He also described himself as “not an entrepreneur” or CEO, but “a nerdy computer programmer who likes to have opinions on Twitter.” WIRED reported that he planned to leave and return to small web experiments. WIRED’s report
That distinction matters when interpreting the headline price: the public statements explain Persson’s decision in terms of pressure, responsibility, and unwanted public prominence. They do not prove that the $2.5 billion was his primary motivation, nor do they disclose the private negotiations behind the sale.
Rank #2
- Explore randomly-generated worlds and build amazing things from the simplest of homes to the grandest of castles
- Play in Creative Mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armour to fend off the dangerous mobs
Why Microsoft wanted Mojang
Microsoft presented the acquisition as an investment in Minecraft’s community and future reach. CEO Satya Nadella called Minecraft an “open world platform” driven by a vibrant community, with opportunities for both players and Microsoft. His framing was about more than acquiring a successful game: it emphasized a platform and the audience around it. Microsoft’s announcement
Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, said Microsoft’s relationship with Mojang began with discussions about bringing Minecraft to consoles. He pointed to the game’s position as the top online game on Xbox Live and described the acquisition as a way to reach more players across platforms and grow the community. He also cited cloud services, Xbox Live, and mobile technology as potential ways to support richer worlds, development tools, and player connections. Xbox Wire
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
| Party | Public explanation | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Persson and Mojang | Minecraft’s scale brought pressure and responsibility Persson did not want; Mojang said he intended to return to smaller projects. GeekWire and WIRED | That money was his primary reason, or that the game was struggling. |
| Microsoft | The acquisition could support Minecraft’s community and build on its multiplatform presence, Xbox success, and Microsoft technology. Microsoft and Xbox Wire | That Microsoft’s hopes or plans were guarantees of every later product decision. |
What the companies said about Minecraft’s future
Microsoft said in 2014 that it planned to continue Minecraft on PC, iOS, Android, Xbox, and PlayStation. Mojang’s statement, reported by The Guardian, likewise said there was no reason development, sales, and support for the then-listed PC/Mac, Xbox, PlayStation, Vita, iOS, and Android versions had to stop. These were statements of intent at the time of the acquisition, not a guarantee covering all subsequent platform decisions. Microsoft’s announcement and The Guardian’s report
Persson, Mojang co-founder Carl Manneh, and co-founder Jakob Porsér were leaving in conjunction with the acquisition, according to contemporaneous reporting. The public explanations therefore describe a change in ownership and leadership: Persson’s stated wish to step away from the pressure, alongside Microsoft’s stated ambition to support and expand Minecraft. GeekWire and The Guardian
Quick Recap
Best Value
- DELUXE COLLECTION — Includes Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, three Bedrock add-ons, three exclusive Character Creator items, and 700 Minecoins.
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that’s unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world filled with surprises.
- SURVIVE THE ADVENTURE — Face mysterious foes, travel across exciting landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play cross-platform with friends in Bedrock Edition on console, mobile, and PC, or join community servers in Java Edition on PC, Mac, and Linux. Online console multiplayer requires a platform-specific subscription (sold separately).
Rank #4
- CREATE YOUR WORLD — Build whatever you imagine in an infinite world that is unique in every playthrough.
- EXPLORE AND CRAFT — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, then craft your way through a sandbox world full of surprises.
- SURVIVAL ADVENTURES — Face mysterious foes, travel across varied landscapes, and venture into perilous dimensions.
- PLAY TOGETHER — Play solo or join friends in local split-screen and cross-platform play across console, mobile, and PC. Online multiplayer supports up to 8 players.
- COMMUNITY PLAY — Connect with players on community servers, or subscribe to Realms Plus (sold separately) to play with up to 10 friends on a private server.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
