Microsoft says it will shut down Minecraft Earth, which let users play Minecraft in real life through AR, on June 30, due to the pandemic
The ambitious project to cover the world in blocks is over — Microsoft is closing down its Minecraft Earth mobile game in June, due to the ongoing pandemic.
Context & Ripple Effects
Minecraft Earth moves from the 2019 closed-beta launch for iOS and Android to a June shutdown after the pandemic undermined the real-world play model it was built around. It also follows earlier Minecraft retrenchment on Apple TV and Windows mobile, where Microsoft ended support rather than sustain smaller platform versions.
First-order effects
- Minecraft Earth players lose access to the AR mobile game on June 30, and Microsoft ends operation of a distinct Minecraft product.
- Microsoft’s Minecraft portfolio loses its dedicated real-world AR entry point, rather than extending the service through the pandemic.
Second-order effects
- Minecraft’s mobile presence becomes more concentrated in its standard editions, while AR-oriented play no longer has a Microsoft-operated Minecraft destination.
- The closure reinforces that specialized Minecraft clients must justify continued support separately from the core game, as the earlier Apple TV and Windows-mobile decisions did.
Third-order effects
- If this support pattern persists, Minecraft is likely to be maintained around fewer, broader platforms rather than bespoke versions for individual device categories—a direction later echoed by the removal of Minecraft VR and MR support.
The trend: Microsoft is consolidating Minecraft around core platforms as narrower device-specific and immersive versions lose support.