As is the case every year, June was Pride Month, and the gaming world joined in on the festivities. Over at Mediatonic, the Fall Guys team celebrated Pride Month by releasing the Painted with Pride costume which players can pick up for free, and the Forza franchise allowed players to grab a free special rainbow livery for the 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster. These are not the only franchises showing their pride, however; plenty of other studios have their Pride Month celebrations, including the Minecraft developer Mojang.

For Mojang, the Pride festivities will last all summer, and gamers will get to participate even if they do not play Minecraft. However, this year's Minecraft celebrations seem to pale in comparison to what Mojang has done in previous years. If the studio wishes to improve its Pride Month celebrations for 2023, it should learn from its strategies from previous years, and throw in a few new ideas, too.

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Minecraft Pride Month Celebrations in Previous Years

The Minecraft logo in the center with Steve and Alex behind it.

Minecraft is a game that has amassed itself a vibrant community of players from around the world who come together to share their creations and express themselves through the game's easily moldable world. Mojang has acknowledged the diversity of Minecraft's global community, and Pride Month is just one of the ways the studio celebrates the diversity of the Minecraft fan base.

In past years, Mojang has gone all out for Pride Month, and its celebrations typically extend past June to last all summer. Best of all, gamers often do not need to even play Minecraft to join in the festivities, as the studio has activities both in its game and on its various social media accounts. This was seen in 2021 when the bulk of Minecraft's Pride Month celebrations were posted to social media channels which includes Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. There, Mojang posted spot-the-difference Pride-themed Facebook posts, Minecraft mobs creating their own Pride moments, tours of Pride-themed aspirational homes, as well as a special Meet a Minecrafter episode on YouTube. Over on Minecraft's official site, Mojang Studios team members shared their experiences.

While Pride Month celebrations may be fun, it is worth remembering that they arose out of a need to counteract oppression and prejudice against marginalized identities, and while a great deal of progress has been made, there are still many challenges that LGBTQIA+ communities face. Consequently, as part of Mojang's Pride Month celebrations in 2020 and the studio's Build a Better World initiative, Mojang donated $125,000 to five organizations, which include: Campaign Against Homophobia, Colombia Diversa, OutRight Action Internation, Know Your Rights Camp, and RainbowYOUTH.

How Minecraft Can Improve Its Pride Month Celebrations in 2023

Xbox Series X S Quick Play Sessions Minecraft

This year, Mojang has been pretty muted with its Pride Month festivities. The studio marked the beginning of its celebrations on June 20th, letting players know that the studio will be celebrating an entire summer of Pride. In its announcement posted on the Minecraft website, Mojang raised hype by letting players know that they can expect more Pride content soon, and it will also be shining the spotlight on Minecraft community members and members of the Mojang team. This is a great move, as there are plenty of LGBTQIA+ gaming streamers.

For next year, there is plenty Mojang can do to spruce up its celebrations. Firstly, it would be a good idea to start the Pride festivities earlier. Although the fact that Mojang spreads its Pride events throughout summer is welcomed, the studio should also consider starting the events at the beginning of June, so that gamers can get involved while the Pride Month hype is still high. Secondly, Mojang should recycle some of its ideas that worked well in the past. This includes Pride-themed social media posts, introducing limited edition Minecraft skins and other items that players can pick up for free, and making donations to LGBTQIA+ groups. Lastly, it would be great if Mojang increased the presence of Pride Month celebrations within Minecraft itself. It could be done in subtle ways, such as placing a rainbow in the sky during Pride Month, or giving Creepers a rainbow skin.

Minecraft has embraced all members of its enormous community, regardless of their race, gender, or sexuality. As such, Mojang's Pride Month celebrations have always been worth looking forward to. Although this year's events haven't been as exciting as usual so far, the studio can still learn from its past successful events to ensure that next year's Pride Month festivities are unforgettable.

Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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