Minecraft was first released in 2011 and, in the subsequent decade, has managed to become one of the most popular titles in video game history. The creativity it fosters among players allows people to constantly have new adventures. But not everything about Minecraft is perfect, as the newest update to the game shows. The update, which many feel is an invasion of privacy, has caused outrage in the Minecraft community and caused #SaveMinecraft to trend online.
Perhaps part of the appeal of Minecraft stems from the fact that it's a great game for players of all ages. Minecraft is a great game for kids and adults alike, and so has accumulated an incredibly large community in a short period of time. And the community of dedicated fans want the freedom that Minecraft offers to extend to all areas of gameplay, which is why gamers have become frustrated with the newest update.
The hashtag SaveMinecraft has started because of update 1.19.1, which many players are calling the chat-reporting update. This addition to the title allows Microsoft and Mojang to see the chats that players send and determine if they are appropriate. If they are deemed unacceptable, the gaming conglomerates can ban gamers from both public and private servers. Many players see this as a huge invasion of privacy, noting that "private servers are no longer private." The unfortunate addition comes after a string of previous Minecraft updates that actually seemed to be changing the title for the better.
Fans of the classic survival title have acted quickly. Software to block chat reporting has already been downloaded more than 200,000 times, and half of that was in one day. Players have also responded to this news, the latest in a series of Minecraft updates to the Nether and other biomes, by making #SaveMinecraft trend on Twitter and other platforms. Many fans have created infographics, shared petitions, and asked for their fellows to download the chat blocking software in defiance.
While the future of the title is unsure, it can certainly be said with confidence that players are frustrated with the Minecraft 1.19.1 update. There has yet to be a response on behalf of the title's creators, and fans shouldn't expect anything. Instead, players should focus on having fun in a game that they love and doing what they believe is right to restore the title to the classic platform that so many gamers know and love.
Minecraft is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.