An independent, fan-run PC game server for Minecraft is set to remove its play-to-earn functionality that paid players in Bitcoin. This decision follows a reported demand from Mojang, the creator of Minecraft and a subsidiary of Microsoft. In a Discord post made by Satlantis server founder David Dineno, it was revealed that Mojang had asked the server administrators to remove the play-to-earn feature. This feature allowed users to accumulate and withdraw small amounts of Bitcoin.
Minecraft server confirms removal of play-to-earn feature
Dineno explained in a follow-up post that the play-to-earn functionality would be removed from Satlantis at 12 p.m. ET on Monday. He also advised players to withdraw their satoshis—the smallest denomination of Bitcoin—from the Minecraft server. However, the creators of Satlantis mentioned their intention to revive the concept within another game, although the specific game was not disclosed. Dineno expressed his disappointment in his post where he mentioned how bad it was and there was no way of getting around it.
He continued to say that despite this setback, Satlantis would continue to exist, emphasizing the success of the game that provided players with a percentage of its profits. He added that all the energy and resources put into the game would not be wasted because of a few people at the top level. Dieno also explained that the Satlantis community would be moving to a place that recognizes and appreciates innovation. Satlantis assured that it would continue to honor Bitcoin withdrawals outside of the game after the specified deadline.
They also planned to transfer all earnings, in-game items, and player statuses to their new game platform in the future. However, Satlantis would continue to operate without Bitcoin earnings enabled. Dineno further detailed Mojang’s request in the Discord server, explaining that he had no choice but to comply. He revealed that Mojang had threatened to block their server IP and cease-and-desist their server host if they didn’t remove the play-to-earn functionality. Dineno criticized Mojang’s demand, stating that it was essentially telling Minecraft players to be content with fun and stay poor.
Satlantis reiterate plans to revive the model
Dineno also highlighted the success of Satlantis, with over 2,300 players who love it and the server had distributed about one Bitcoin in rewards. Dineno shared that a player had reached out to express their dismay about the decision, as the earnings had been helpful to them. Dineno explained that messages like that provide him with the resolution to continue building. He also noted that the team has been working since they got the news and they already have measures in place to use a prototype. This means that the server will have news sooner than people expect.
It is worth noting that Minecraft’s usage guidelines have been updated to include a ban on play-to-earn features in user-operated servers, along with a previously announced ban on NFT (Non-Fungible Token) functionality. The exact timing of these guideline changes was unclear. This situation with Satlantis draws parallels to a previous case involving NFT Worlds, a project that sold tokenized land plots for a dedicated Minecraft fan server. When Mojang announced its intention to ban token-gated features, NFT Worlds rebranded to Hytopia and developed its own Minecraft-like game engine, with a beta release on the horizon.
Minecraft is not the only prominent game to ban NFTs and cryptocurrency from its fan servers. In November 2022, Rockstar Games made a similar announcement for Grand Theft Auto V, banning both NFTs and cryptocurrency from the game due to the rise of servers where users were selling NFTs to represent limited-edition in-game items. The decision to remove the play-to-earn feature from the Minecraft server showcases the ongoing debate surrounding blockchain-based rewards and cryptocurrency integration in gaming communities. While some embrace these innovations, others, including game developers and publishers, are cautious and sometimes take measures to restrict or eliminate them.
