Summary
After almost 7 years,Minecraft’s Mob Vote event is finally being retired. With the event causing a great deal of uproar in the community, particularly during 2023’s affairs, there are many reasons as to whyMinecrafthas shelved this vote.
Mojang just released an important article, announcingmajor changes toMinecraft’s update structure. Included within these changes is a new update structure that focuses on multiple smaller updates throughout the year, one that Mojang believes can better incorporate community support. In conjunction with this, Minecraft Live will be held twice a year—spreading out live events alongside updates. As a consequence of these shifts in direction, both designed to reframe how community feedback is taken onboard, the infamous Mob Vote is being retired.
A New Approach To The Fan Community Means No More Minecraft Mob Vote
Though it may seem contradictory to rid Minecraft Live of the Mob Vote,a way in whichMinecraftfanscould shape the game, as part of an effort to better incorporate community feedback, there are many good reasons to ditch the vote. The event has almost always led to backlash, with the first Mob Vote alone releasing one ofMinecraft’s most hated mobs into the game. Considering how much the community has shaped the game - not only through the number of fans hired, but the amount of suggestions successfully implemented - rethinking year-round interaction is far better than relying on such a controversial event.
Mob Votes Have An Inherent Information Problem
InMinecraft’s 15th anniversary interview series, where developers discuss the history of the game and their involvement, senior game designer Cory Scheviak spoke about the Mob Vote. Mentioning issues with the mob vote, he says “I think the problem is it comes across as though like, we have all three ready to go already”. This quite succinctly sums up the issuewithMinecraft’s Mob Vote—there’s a lack of information on both sides. The event pitches three mobs, all of which are only ideas with vague descriptions attached. Fans don’t really know what they’ll end up getting, leading to problematic mobs (such as the phantom) or major disappointments (like the glow squid and the sniffer).
It’s possible that this line of thought loomed large over the 2023 mob vote, hence why each video for the event gave each mob a defined, unambiguous mechanical purpose. However, fans still managed to debate over these mechanics and the wording behind them. This debate turned into anger, as a portion of fans decided to call for a boycott—citing how Mojang’s size and fortune should allow them to release all three mobs. This was a further testament to the lack of knowledge available to both Mojang and players: Mojang couldn’t answer hard questions about mobs, and the community didn’t have access to the Mob Vote development process. WhileMinecraft’s armadillo has been widely accepted now, its vote still stands as one of the game’s biggest controversies.
Small Updates Get Fans In Mojang’s Corner
In fact, the armadillo’s success is far more ofa testament to smallMinecraftupdatesthan it is to the Mob Vote. Rather than releasing as part ofMinecraft’s 1.21 update, it came out earlier in the 1.20.5 Armored Paws update. By being part of a small content drop, Mojang was able to invest a great deal into it, taking on community feedback from snapshots to radically alter the creature’s design and the functionality of its drop.
Both examples of how the community shaped the armadillowere cited in Mojang’s recent article, an article where the studio also announced its pivot to more updates like Armored Paws. This makes it clear that the best way for Mojang to involve the community is through small updates that fans can easily refine with suggestions, and that the Mob Vote is best left behind in the wake of that fact.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. you may survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
