Minecraft:Java Edition

Minecraft: Java Edition (formerly just Minecraft<ref group="note">Subtitle present since 1.12.2 (pre1). Also formerly titled Cave Game and Minecraft: Order of the Stone during private testing in pre-Classic.</ref>) is the original version of Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios for

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Template:Redr. Notch began development on Minecraft on May 10, 2009, and publicly released it a week later on May 17, 2009. The full release (version 1.0.0) was released on November 18, 2011, at MINECON 2011.

Unique features

{{#vardefine:params|0 }}Template:Hatnote Updates are managed directly by the Minecraft Launcher, so it does not have to go through platform holders' certification.

Logging in with a Microsoft account is required to use the launcher and play the game. In addition to the latest version and latest snapshot, most past versions of Java Edition are also available through the launcher. The launcher allows for separate profiles that are useful for mods, development versions, and old versions.

Java Edition's code is more easily modifiable, and so it has by far the most robust scenes for Minecraft:mods and custom servers. The code itself is not obfsuctaed. As such, the code has been extensively examined by the modding community, and therefore is highly documented - one example being the Java Edition protocol documentation. Minecraft:Realms for Java Edition is a separate subscription from the two Realms subscriptions for Bedrock Edition.

The Windows versions of Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are sold together as Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC<ref>

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Template:Redr</ref> and Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection (the latter includes DLC for Bedrock Edition). Previously, owners of Java Edition who bought the game before June 7, 2022 would also receive a free copy of Bedrock Edition.

Development

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Creation/pre-Classic

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File:CaveGame.png

Cave game tech test

Notch got the idea for Minecraft after playing Infiniminer with other members of the TIGSource forums in 2009.<ref>"Minecraft (alpha)" – TIGSource Forums, May 17, 2009</ref> Other influences include

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Template:Redr,<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> and Notch's own previous project, RubyDung.<ref>

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When he first started working on Minecraft, Notch had planned for it to just be a small project. For instance, when Notch uploaded the first YouTube video of Minecraft on May 13, 2009, he had not yet decided on a name, and simply referred to it as a "cave game".<ref>

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Template:Redr Cave game tech test] – YouTube (Archive)</ref> The name Minecraft: Order of the Stone was announced the next day<ref>

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Classic

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File:Classic.png

Minecraft Classic

Minecraft 0.0.11a was publicly released the day after the private release on May 17, 2009,<ref>

1. REDIRECT Template:The Word of Notch</ref> and the game received mention on IndieGames.com the day after that.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> This phase was later named Minecraft Classic.<ref>
2. REDIRECT Template:The Word of Notch</ref> In July, Minecraft was rewritten to use the Lightweight Java Gaming Library (LWJGL).<ref>
3. REDIRECT Template:The Word of Notch</ref> Until Minecraft Beta reintroduced it, Classic was the only version of Minecraft with the Creative game mode, which gives players an infinite amount of each block to build with without having to gather them as in Survival mode. A multiplayer test also occurred shortly before the Survival test.

Survival Test

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Survival Test was released as a version of Classic on September 1, 2009. It was the introduction of Survival Mode; the player had to mine blocks, face mobs, and had a health bar. If the player were to die, the map was lost; unless backed up, the user would have to start over with a new map, similar to Hardcore mode in newer versions.

Indev

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File:Indev.png

Indev

Indev (short for in development) was released on December 23, 2009, after Notch received requests to let the community try out new features he was implementing in Survival Test. Indev version 0.31 was released to the public on minecraft.net/indev and available only to people who had purchased the game. When a new game was started, the player would spawn in a prefabricated wooden house.

Updates introduced a more complex and realistic lighting scheme than Classic, as well as a day-night cycle. Indev received more updates after this, adding a few fundamental features to Minecraft as it went. During its lifespan, some updates were devoted mostly to testing new things, like food, Minecraft:torches, or fire. The difficulty settings: Peaceful, Easy, Normal and Hard, were added to the game. Unique to Indev were level types, similar to Minecraft:biomes and Minecraft:dimensions - for example, Floating Islands and the Sky Dimension, and "Hell" (not the Nether). Like Survival Test, if the player were to die, all progress was lost.

Infdev

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File:Infdev 20100618.png

Infdev

Infdev (short for infinite development)<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> was released on February 27, 2010, and became the third phase of Minecraft's development. It featured the important addition of maps that can generate infinitely, which extended the gameplay possibilities even further as well as other upgrades including new crafting recipes, 3D clouds, a new terrain generator, a more realistic Minecraft:fluid system, and more complex caves. However, Infdev scrapped other features of Indev such as world themes. This, in turn, spelled the demise of features such as 'floating islands' and 'permaday'. These removals are understandable, as Infdev's main purpose was to develop infinite maps. However, some extra gameplay features and items were added, such as Minecraft:minecarts, dungeons with mob spawners, and the ability to respawn.

After being replaced by Alpha on June 30, 2010, Infdev remained available on the official Minecraft website until September 2010, when it was removed. Only one version, Infdev 20100618, is playable through the launcher, by enabling the "Historical versions" button in the Launcher options.

Alpha

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File:OldNether.png

The Nether in Alpha

Alpha was released on June 30, 2010, however, only technically, as the first version labeled as Alpha was Alpha v1.0.1. When this update was released, Notch decided to rename Infdev (June 30, 2010) to Alpha v1.0.0. This phase of the game saw many major features added to Minecraft. Multiplayer for Survival was created, and features such as Minecraft:redstone circuits, Minecraft:boats, new music, and new mobs, often without announcement in "Seecret Friday Updates".

The Halloween Update on October 30, 2010, was a major update adding Minecraft:biomes, Minecraft:The Nether, new mobs, blocks and items, and other changes.

One could see Alpha's introduction of Minecraft:biomes as being the return, at least in part, of Indev's world themes, and indeed the Nether is not unlike the 'Hell' world theme. Another reintroduction in Alpha was the return of Minecraft:multiplayer. Unlike Classic's Creative multiplayer, Alpha's multiplayer was available only in Survival form that is logically called "Survival Multiplayer".

It is still playable on the launcher by enabling the "Historical versions" button in the Launch options. Today, 23% of all Alpha versions are lost.

Beta

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File:Beta.png

Beta

Beta was the sixth and last phase of Minecraft's development before its official release. Beta was released on December 20, 2010. Features that were added include a new logo and launcher, customizable world name and Minecraft:world seed, achievements and statistics, weather, Smooth Lighting, dyes, more plant types (two new types of trees and tall grass), wolves and squid, Minecraft:beds, and other blocks and items.

The Adventure Update was a major set of updates, focusing on exploring and combat and adding an ending to the game. Features added include a new terrain generator, new mobs, blocks, biomes, and items. Three generated structures were added: villages, strongholds, and mineshafts. Changes to general gameplay include an improved combat system including critical hits and experience, a reintroduced Creative, Hardcore, and a way to finish the game by traveling to Minecraft:The End and defeating the ender dragon.

Originally planned to be started in Beta 1.7, the first part of the Adventure Update was released as Beta 1.8 on September 14, 2011. Starting on September 9, 2011, developmental versions were "leaked" by Mojang Studios.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> Beta 1.9 was never released, but 6 pre-releases using the 1.9 version number were made available for users to test and report bugs back to Mojang Studios. On October 18, a feature freeze went into effect and Mojang Studios shifted all Minecraft development focus to fixing bugs and preparing the game for release.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> On November 13, a release candidate of 1.0 was released, along with an official update to 1.8.1 that added sounds from the developmental version.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

It is still playable on the launcher by enabling the "Historical versions" button in the Launch options.

Numbered releases

Template:Infobox development phase [[File:Java Edition

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File:TheEnderdragon.png

The ender dragon in Minecraft:the End.

The full release of Minecraft, 1.0.0, was released during MINECON 2011 on November 18, 2011, by Notch at the keynote address ceremony at 9:54 pm

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Template:Redr. Jeb confirmed the version number in a tweet while also stating that the game would be officially out of Beta.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> The release includes many features from the Adventure Update that were not included in Beta 1.8. The most prominent feature is an ending to the game, which can be achieved by defeating the Ender Dragon boss in The End.

The full release of Minecraft is charged at full price (

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Template:Redr39.90) to new players, but Alpha and Beta players receive this copy through regular updating. After the release, Notch said in an interview that he was nervous about releasing a full game that would be rated and reviewed. Upon release, the game was well received and was given high ratings by many gaming websites and fan reviews.

Subsequent updates have since been released, with additions such as new gameplay mechanics, new mobs, and biomes. For the full list of additions since 1.0.0, see Minecraft:Java Edition version history.

The game received the Java Edition subtitle in Java Edition 1.12.2, to separate it from Bedrock Edition, which was renamed to just "Minecraft" by the Better Together Update.

On October 6, 2018, Mojang Studios open-sourced parts of the code for Java Edition, mainly the Brigadier command engine and the Data Fixer Upper. A complete rewrite of the game's rendering engine called Blaze3D is being considered for open-sourcing.<ref>Template:Mcnet</ref>

Annual releases

Template:Infobox development phase In late 2025, a change to the numbering system for updates was revealed, such that the current year would be used as the initial value, and a second value following this would be incremented instead.

Demo version

{{#vardefine:params|0 }}Template:Hatnote The demo version of Java Edition is for players who haven't bought Minecraft yet and has some restrictions:

• The demo version is always set to survival mode
• Only one world is created: (Demo_World).
• The world generates using the same seed: -343522682.
• The player has limited time to play the world (when the timer goes to 0, the player can still play, but they can't interact with the world).
• The player's name is always set to Player.
• The player gets a bonus chest when starting a new demo world.

Controls

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Controls for the Java Edition are designed for use with a keyboard and mouse, touchscreen, or touchpad.

System requirements

The game can run on a lot of hardware, including low end systems like mobile Intel Core 2 Duo from 2007.<ref name=":0">Own testing with Core 2 Duo T7400 (2.16GHz, Merom architecture), integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics and 4GB of RAM, with 1.21.10 on Ubuntu 24.04.3.</ref> However, for an enjoyable experience, it is encouraged to consult the recommended requirements.

The below requirements are adapted from the official requirements and are meant for unmodified versions of the game. Mods and resource packs can have significantly higher requirements, complex worlds might also require better hardware to run well.

Requirements	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system	REDIRECT Template:Wikipedia Template:Redr or later, REDIRECT Template:Wikipedia Template:Redr or later, REDIRECT Template:Wikipedia Template:Redr || REDIRECT Template:Wikipedia Template:Redr or later, macOS Catalina (10.15.8) or later, Linux
Processor (CPU) architecture	ARM, x86_64 (64-bit x86)	ARM, x86_64 (64-bit x86)
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core i3-3210, AMD A8-7600, Apple M1 or equivalent (may even run on even older Intel processors like Core 2 Duo,<ref name=":0" /> but not officially supported)	Intel Core i5-4690, AMD A10-7800, Apple M1 or equivalent
Graphics (GPU)	Intel HD Graphics 4000, AMD Radeon R5 or equivalent	NVIDIA GeForce 700 series, AMD Radeon RX 200 series (excluding integrated) with OpenGL 4.45
Memory (RAM)	2 GB	4 GB

Java 25 is required. However, the Minecraft Launcher automatically supplies the correct Java version by default, removing the need to install it separately.

Recent versions of Java Edition are not compatible with 32-bit operating systems. The latest version of Java Edition that can be played on a 32-bit operating system is Java Edition 1.20.4.

A stable Internet connection is required for the launcher to download game files, authenticate usernames, and for the game to connect to multiplayer servers. The player must download and run Java Edition while connected to the internet at least once; afterward, the player can play without an internet connection, but must still connect to receive updates or play online.

The latest version of game requires the following to run in any capacity:

• Java SE 25 runtime
• 64-bit operating system
• Several native libraries, including LWJGL, and a suitable environment (for example LWJGL requires compatible windowing and audio systems to run)
• An OpenGL 4.4 compatible graphics card and driver

Officially, only Linux, macOS Mojave (10.14.5) or later and Windows 7 or later are supported, but it might be possible to run Java Edition on other platforms by unofficial means.

• Can run on ChromeOS using its Linux compatibility layer via the official launcher for Linux (see this tutorial)
• Can't run using Java ME, included in devices such as cars or Blu-ray players
• Can run on Android and iOS using third-party solutions such as Amethyst

Information on system requirements for running a Java Edition server can be found on the Server/Requirements page.

Reception

Evaluation	Publication
92.79%	GameRankings
93/100	Metacritic
A+	1UP.com
4.5/5	GamesRadar
10/10	Eurogamer
9.25/10	Game Informer
8.5/10	GameSpot
5/5	GameSpy
9.0/10	IGN

Minecraft: Java Edition was first made available for sale in June 2009 and has since sold over 30 million copies. Minecraft has received high acclaim from critics and has since become one of the most influential and successful indie games ever released. The game's popularity has influenced the creation of a new genre of Minecraft clones.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The game has been praised for the creative freedom it grants its players in-game, and for how dynamic the overall gameplay is. Since its creation, Minecraft has become the best-selling video game in history, selling a combined total from all versions of over 238,000,000 copies.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> PC Gamer listed Minecraft as the fourth-best game to play at work.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

A review of a version during the Alpha stage of the game, by Scott Munro of the Daily Record, called it "already something special" and urged readers to buy it.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Jim Rossignol of Rock, Paper, Shotgun also recommended the alpha of the game, calling it "a kind of generative 8-bit Lego S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl."<ref>Template:Citation</ref> On September 17, 2010, gaming webcomic Penny Arcade began a series of comics and news posts about the addictiveness of the game.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Video game talk show Good Game gave it a 7.5 and 9 out of 10, praising its creativity and customization, though they criticized its lack of a tutorial.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

On May 5, 2011, Minecraft was selected as one of the 80 games that would be displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of "The Art of Video Games" exhibit that was opened on March 16, 2012.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Awards

File:MojangTrophies.jpg

Mojang Studios's trophies

Since its release Minecraft has won numerous awards including:

• PC Gamer's "Game of the Year"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Independent Games Festival's Grand Prize and "Audience Award"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Good Game's "Best Downloadable Game of 2010"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Rock Paper Shotgun's "Game of the Year"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Indie DB's "Indie of the Year", "Most Innovative and Best Singleplayer Indie"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Game Developers Choice Awards's "Best Debut Game", "Best Downloadable Game" and "Most Innovative Game Award"<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• Polygon's #1 Game of the Decade<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Trailer

{{#vardefine:params|0 }}Template:Hatnote An official trailer was released on Mojang Studios's official YouTube channel after the full release of Minecraft, on December 6, 2011. The video was made by Vareide instead of Hat Films, who have made update trailers and videos for Mojang Studios in the past.

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Previously, another trailer also made by Vareide was featured on the Minecraft website:

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Trivia

• Before being renamed to Java Edition in 1.12.2, this edition was often informally called the "PC Edition" or "Computer Edition", to differentiate it from other versions run on mobile and console platforms which were later united under Bedrock Edition.
• The source code of Minecraft: Java Edition may have been hosted in a private repository called "Mojang/Minecraft" on GitHub, which Bartosz Bok has referred to during Brigadier's development before its open-source release.<ref>

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• The Java Edition page on Minecraft.net uses screenshots from Bedrock Edition.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
• The official Java website has a page linking to Minecraft.net.<ref name="java" />

Gallery

Key art

• Minecraft: Java Edition in‑game logo
  Minecraft: Java Edition in‑game logo
• Minecraft: Java Edition logo used on the Minecraft Launcher
  Minecraft: Java Edition logo used on the Minecraft Launcher
• "Minceraft" in-game logo easter egg
  "Minceraft" in-game logo easter egg
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC logo
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC logo
• Minecraft: Java Edition app icon
  Minecraft: Java Edition app icon
• Minecraft: Java Edition snapshot app icon
  Minecraft: Java Edition snapshot app icon
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC square key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC square key art
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC vertical key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC vertical key art
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC horizontal key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC horizontal key art
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC key art
• Ditto but alternate
  Ditto but alternate
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection square key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection square key art
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection vertical key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection vertical key art
• Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection key art
  Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection key art
• Ditto but alternate
  Ditto but alternate
• Infographic celebrating 300 million copies of Minecraft being sold, showing statistics of several in-game mechanics
  Infographic celebrating 300 million copies of Minecraft being sold, showing statistics of several in-game mechanics

Old

• Old Minecraft: Java Edition vertical key art with old logo
  Old Minecraft: Java Edition vertical key art with old logo
• Old Minecraft: Java Edition key art
  Old Minecraft: Java Edition key art
• Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC square key art
  Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC square key art
• Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC vertical key art
  Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC vertical key art
• Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC key art
  Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC key art
• Technoblade memorial special edition Minecraft Launcher page
  Technoblade memorial special edition Minecraft Launcher page
• Ditto but zoomed to the pig
  Ditto but zoomed to the pig
• Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection square key art
  Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection square key art
• Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection vertical key art
  Old Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition Deluxe Collection vertical key art

Notes

<references group="note">

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References

<references group=""> </references>

Navigation

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