Minecraft requires a Microsoft Account from March 2022 onward

Martin Brinkmann
Feb 6, 2022
Games
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37

Minecraft users who play the Java version of the popular game will have to use a Microsoft Account from March 2022 onward to play the game.

minecraft java microsoft accounts

Microsoft, owner of Minecraft since 2014, announced the migration in October 2020. The company's initial plan was to make Microsoft Accounts mandatory in 2021, but the change has been delayed. The Java version is one of the two main Minecraft versions.

Up until now, gamers who play the Java version may use a Mojang account to do so or a Microsoft Account. Mojang, the original developer of Minecraft, continued to work on the game after the acquisition.

Starting March 10, 2022, Minecraft can't be played unless a Microsoft Account is used. Microsoft claims that millions of Minecraft Java gamers have migrated their accounts to a Microsoft Account already. Gamers benefit from the move as well, as Microsoft states that its own account system offers advantages such as support for two-factor authentication over the Mojang account system.

Parents may also get better control over the playing activities of their children, provided that they manage their children's Microsoft Accounts.

All data is migrated and all content and features remain the same, according to Microsoft. Gamers receive a free special cave once they have moved the account. The entire migration should only take " a couple of minutes" according to Microsoft; much of it depends on whether a Microsoft Account is used already or if it has to be created from scratch.

Minecraft players who use multiple legacy or Mojang accounts will need to create individual Microsoft Accounts for each of their classic accounts. Options to sign-in to any of these accounts are provided.

You can check out the official FAQ for additional details on the migration.

Closing Words

The move benefits Microsoft first and foremost, as it can drop support for Mojang accounts and does not need to maintain these anymore once the migration completes. Gamers who don't want to migrate to a Microsoft Account, for whatever reason, won't be able to play the official versions of Minecraft anymore as using a Microsoft Account is mandatory by March 10, 2022.

Now You: do you play Minecraft?

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Minecraft requires a Microsoft Account from March 2022 onward
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Minecraft requires a Microsoft Account from March 2022 onward
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Minecraft users who play the Java version of the popular game will have to use a Microsoft Account from March 2022 onward to play the game.
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Comments

  1. uooh said on June 17, 2022 at 12:42 pm
    Reply

    Microc*ck is quickly turning into the next Google / Apple. They force people into their locked down ecosystem, so they can dictate what’s cool or not.
    As a person who got his MOJANG Minecraft account back in 2010, I’m extremely disappointed that this migration is made mandatory. Yeah yeah, “security” my butt, they just want to bloat their Xbox Live userbase numbers, just like G00gle did with the failed Google Plus thing and Youtube a few years ago (anyone even remember that?). Next they’re gonna make Wee11 a mandatory operating system to eliminate Linux competition, and start banning people for spamming curse words in text chat.

  2. paper_sacculos said on March 16, 2022 at 3:02 pm
    Reply

    So they deleted my 8-year-old account…

  3. AnEnragedYandere said on March 10, 2022 at 5:41 pm
    Reply

    I just wanna say, I have seen like 30-40 year olds playing pokemon, and I’ve definetly seen people in their late 20s or 30s playing minecraft, maybe a 40 year old or two

  4. AnEnragedYandere said on March 10, 2022 at 5:28 pm
    Reply

    I’m ngl, the fact that if I migrate my Mother(SUPER NOSY.) She has access to seeing what servers I play on, every sentence I say, every command I do, doesn’t sound very fun, Don’t understand how it’d make it safer its another way for people to log in to your account and when you have it remembering you thats just 0% more protection. May as well just make my own secret Microsoft accounr and not tell my mom if they’re doing that.

  5. Penny said on March 5, 2022 at 5:32 pm
    Reply

    Oh well there goes Minecraft for me – what a waste of money that was.
    There is no way I am going to ‘migrate’ to a microfelch account.

    Seriously, the sooner Microsoft, Apple, Google, Facebook, Twitter & Amazon go out of business, the better the world will be.

    The future is NOT looking bright folks.

  6. Sergey said on February 16, 2022 at 5:30 pm
    Reply

    0

    I’m in the same situation here. I’ve bought two licenses for my kins $26 per each from Mojang. In November 2021 both were forced to migrate from Mojang Account to Microsoft account. As a result – continuous troubles. Launcher cannot download the game, if it is successful it cannot login to MS account. Always see the message “something went wrong in the login process”. Both Mojang and Microsoft refuse to make a refund. So for the 5 months long kids cannot play. Very frustrating. This situation smells like scam. I admire people who make own Minecraft Launchers like Forge and allow to play without paying. Thinking about to install such a solution.

    I’ve tried to consult the UK consumers right ombudsman but they said since more than a year passed since the purchase the chance is cloth to nothing. Suggested to bring this case to the court.

    I also invited police to MS store in London, they took all details and promise to contact me, but nothing happen Since middle of Jan 2022.

    I simply would like to punish them somehow.

    1. Lisa M said on April 14, 2022 at 11:12 pm
      Reply

      I’m in the same boat as you. Mojang wasn’t very clear in the details of how the migration was going to go. When I bought the game I used a yahoo account that wasn’t associated with a Microsoft account at all. When I was finally able to migrate my account I used the Microsoft account associated with my XBOX thinking that everything would be ok until it wasn’t. I knew that when it asked me to create a new gamer tag that something was wrong. After I completed it and got the congratulations you have migrated email I emailed Mojang about the problem. They wouldn’t do anything because I didn’t have the transaction ID from when I bought the game. I called Microsoft and they said they couldn’t do anything that Mojang would have to fix it. After going back and forth for over a month they said that I as long as J was able to log in and play everything would be fine. Two weeks ago I tried to log in and it said I needed to repurchase the game. I was able to play the windows edition but not Java. I also noticed that my information was changed. I no longer had the new gamer tag in the upper left corner. It was my old one. Once again on the phone and e-mail train with both Mojang and Microsoft. Microsoft said they couldn’t figure it out. Said my case was weird. Mojang still wanted the transaction ID. I provided them with the transactions of the 7.99 I paid monthly for realms so I could play with my kids but that wasn’t good enough. I said if they couldn’t get this issue resolved I would take legal action. They closed my ticket and gave me the link to their legal team which sent me to Microsoft. I called Microsoft and they said they don’t know why Mojang would do that. They also said that they couldn’t see any of Mojang’s accounts. I asked how that was possible. You buy a company and you can’t see their accounts. Seemed very odd to me. I wish I could find a lawyer and turn this into a class action lawsuit. I’m infuriated because I can’t play a game I bought and I’ve lost everything I’ve created in realms with my kids.

    2. IntelgrityChecker said on March 7, 2022 at 2:27 am
      Reply

      Hello!

      You can try using the MultiMC Minecraft launcher, it was made by a Mojang employee as a side-project, is open-source (meaning if you don’t trust it you can always check the code). I’ve experienced same issues as you with these official launchers, I own around 10 Minecraft accounts (some of them are Microsoft accounts) and it works a lot better – also it’s easier to create different game profiles for mods and stuff.

      You can get it at multimc.org/

      It’s a community effort, if you encounter any issues with it, check the website how to contact with them and they will probably help you solve the issue or release a bug fix.

      Have a wonderful day.

  7. Rob said on February 10, 2022 at 2:14 am
    Reply

    According to the launcher today, “… most users still playing using a Mojang account will have to migrate…”

    How do we get on the list that aren’t “most?”

    Keep in mind you don’t need an MS account if you play off-line or on a local server.

  8. masked temple guard said on February 8, 2022 at 1:53 am
    Reply

    Proprietary software doesn’t give you choices, you are locked into a black box.

    Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) is the future.

    Paying for software is a dying art when you have FOSS.

    Refuse to use/buy Microsoft services, software, and hardware. Forever.

    1. TuxRacer said on February 8, 2022 at 1:48 pm
      Reply

      > Paying for software is a dying art when you have FOSS.
      That’s explain, why linux don’t have games.

      1. IntelgrityChecker said on March 7, 2022 at 2:20 am
        Reply

        There are more and more Linux games though? Factorio, Stardew Valley, CrossCode, Terraria, OpenTTD (open-source even), Starbound, Minecraft (of course), Source engine games like Portal or Counter Strike, etc.

        Now thanks to Steam Deck there will be more and more games playable on Linux natively or through Steam Proton. Easy Anti-Cheat is ready for Linux too.

      2. Penny said on March 5, 2022 at 6:02 pm
        Reply

        Of course Linux has games and lots of them. Guess you’ve never used Linux then ?

  9. forever baby said on February 8, 2022 at 1:48 am
    Reply

    @ Darryl Mackun

    > So what’s wrong about it? Microsoft gives you a choice.

    LOL! Microsoft?

    You mean the company which produces Windows which wants to install over my Linux partition as if it’s not even there? Microsoft? I could go on forever baby.

  10. yanta said on February 8, 2022 at 12:52 am
    Reply

    Ouch. this is going to be a problem. All PCs here have the entire Microsoft account component and store removed. Users couldn’t create a usable MS account even if they wanted to. I suspect I’m going to get a flurry of support calls in March :(

  11. John said on February 7, 2022 at 6:26 pm
    Reply

    Yikes. I sure am glad that I got to experience great games like the original Doom from 1993, before sociopaths completely took over the game industry.

  12. MyNameIsNotThis said on February 7, 2022 at 6:23 pm
    Reply

    Give Minetest a chance, the only account it wants is the one you create when you join a server, with just username and password per server.

  13. Anonymous said on February 7, 2022 at 4:53 am
    Reply

    Microsoft gonna Microsoft. This is how they killed Mixer in record time.

  14. Anonymous said on February 6, 2022 at 9:50 pm
    Reply

    People still play this nonsense?

    1. uooh said on June 17, 2022 at 12:39 pm
      Reply

      Minecraft has almost 70 million active users in 2022. It’s one of the most popular video games in history.

  15. RogerW said on February 6, 2022 at 8:58 pm
    Reply

    What Amazon did was worse. If you own Minecraft on Amazon Appstore they abruptly made that version Amazon devices only, probably to avoid conflict with Minecraft Windows 10 Edition from Windows Store if Amazon Appstore makes it’s way to Windows 11. So if you had bought Minecraft on Amazon Appstore you can no longer install it on a non-Amazon device. And they are not offering a refund either.

  16. John G. said on February 6, 2022 at 7:10 pm
    Reply

    What is Minecraft? Didn’t they got bigger pixels? LOL

  17. Yuliya said on February 6, 2022 at 6:16 pm
    Reply

    I have Minecraft Java Edition. I honestly have no idea what account I have, but I guess it’s a Mojang one as I use my gMail address for login. I think, it’s been a while since I had played it.

  18. ULBoom said on February 6, 2022 at 4:42 pm
    Reply

    Java is bad.
    Security issues.
    Remove Java from all devices.
    Browsers no longer support Java.
    MS is selling security these days.
    Except for Minecraft, a very weird “game” with square chickens every kid on the planet plays.
    Maybe it’s just a licensing issue, Oracle vs. MS (and the rest of the world?)
    OK, I get it.
    No, I don’t.
    Maybe if I had a MS account, it would all be clear.

    1. Anonymous said on February 6, 2022 at 5:31 pm
      Reply

      @ULBoom
      So? Don’t play it. easy as that. You are apparently a grown up so you shouldn’t play any videogames anyway.
      Microsoft bought the game and kept the Java version alive but the Microsoft store has nothing to do with it, they haven’t really updated it either.

      Also Java is not more insecure than anything else in a computer, many programs use Java they are perfectly fine and they will not support from another security threat or some whatever, computers are like that, were made to spy you so I am sure the least of the problems is java, which is just a programming language so who cares if a browser supports it or not, Browsers are not exactly the most efficient thanks to their support for JS and other stuff which is the reason why browsers use 600MB memory when they just open 1 tab, and 50% CPU when you visit a website.

    2. aaa said on February 6, 2022 at 5:24 pm
      Reply

      I just don’t understand why Minecraft is booming. That blocky game is visually unappealing to me.

      It doesn’t make sense.

      1. Sean said on February 7, 2022 at 2:18 pm
        Reply

        It boomed in 2011. Welcome to the future. Boomer.

      2. Penny said on March 5, 2022 at 6:04 pm
        Reply

        Welcome to the machine. Zoomer.

      3. Dumbledalf said on February 7, 2022 at 2:26 am
        Reply

        That’s probably why mostly kids like it. Maybe to them it looks like a LEGO game or something. Maybe if I was 6-8 years old I would’ve liked it too.

        I tried playing it when it came out to see what all the fuss was about and mainly the blocky graphics turned me away. If it had at least round graphics it would’ve been more interesting to me, both characters and the environment.

  19. JohnIL said on February 6, 2022 at 1:42 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft is really pushing its requirement for a Microsoft account on everything. I only use a couple Microsoft products, so I really do not want to embrace this sort of tactic by Microsoft. At some point, I will probably end up abandoning Windows for Linux as Windows 10 reaches EOS.

    1. 1337 said on February 6, 2022 at 10:57 pm
      Reply

      @Darryl Mackun,

      JohnIL is perfectly entitled to complain about this and it doesn’t make him ‘weak’ to do so. And you are wrong, m$ does push and attempt to deceive you into creating an account.

    2. Darryl Mackun said on February 6, 2022 at 5:24 pm
      Reply

      @JohnIL
      Your post doesn’t even make sense. I installed Windows 11 in all my computers, supported and unsupported and not even once I have asked to have a Microsoft account.
      If you use Microsoft services, some will obviously ask for a MS account… like Xbox related stuff, and still you could use gamebar or something and you don’t require one, same with Microsoft Store, you don’t even need an account to get apps for your computer.

      So what’s wrong about it? Microsoft gives you a choice. You aren’t even required a Microsoft account to use Skype Meetings, I mean, compare it to Google where you are forced to use an account to get into Meet and do the same.

      You can also block everything with a firewall, and never be bothered by anything in Windows.

      You are just weak and find any excuses, nobody is forcing you to anything anyway, so switch to Linux if you want, then don’t complain about apps not running correctly because we know you all want to run EXE inside Linux.

      1. Anonymous said on February 6, 2022 at 11:43 pm
        Reply

        @Mackun
        You need account to create Skype Meetings and you don’t need any account to join Google Meet. This is just blatant lie.

      2. Yuliya said on February 6, 2022 at 6:18 pm
        Reply

        Now that’s not entirely true, don’t lie on the internet just like that, Darryl Mackun.
        You need to do some workarounds to get the W11 Home edition to install without a Microsoft account. And we’re talking about fairly obscure workarounds, not just a button tucked into a corner which is difficult to spot.

    3. Anonymous said on February 6, 2022 at 4:18 pm
      Reply

      dito

  20. Yash said on February 6, 2022 at 1:11 pm
    Reply

    These requirements to use an account when it involves Big Tech is BS. What happened to a simple give your email and password and forget all account linking between big organisation.
    Btw hasn’t played Minecraft yet so I’m already in minority to be impacted by this decision.

    1. Bobby Phoenix said on February 6, 2022 at 6:36 pm
      Reply

      Yes it is BS. All companies do by requiring an account like a Microsoft one is pollute the email pool. Anything that requires such accounts always gets “MincraftMS1” type of email created just for Minecraft. It’s not used for anything but that. Got another Minecraft account? “MinecraftMS2”. So stupid.

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