In late 2019, someone used a prank website known as Channel 45 News to create a fake news headline which claimed that Minecraft would be shutting down in 2020. At first, it didn’t get much attention — until December, when it spread around the internet very quickly.
Somehow, the fake article even occasionally appeared as Google’s top search result if a user looked up something along the lines of “is Minecraft shutting down in 2020?” It obviously wasn’t true — if they clicked on the link, it took them to a site confirming that it was just a prank, and the internet freaked out so much that several people from Mojang took to Twitter to assuage people’s fears. Its fingerprints linger on the internet as memes.
10 Mixed Signals
At first, there was a ton of misinformation online about the whole problem. Popular Minecraft YouTubers began to make videos with clickbaity titles, other news outlets repackaged the news without doing their research, and Mojang at first didn’t bother to comment. It was hard to know who or what to trust.
Players felt especially suspicious when news reached their ears at first that Minecraft Earth would be shutting down later this year, convinced it was just another hoax.
9 The Time Traveller
A time traveller from the future could tell us so much about the world in 50, 100, or 1,000 years’ time. They could stop wars, support world peace, or win millions betting on races. The best use of their talents for some people, though? Revealing the ultimate fate of Minecraft.
Minecraft has been around for over 10 years since the first people played it in 2009 as a paid public alpha. It’s survived with a huge fan base since then and has arrived on nearly every platform imaginable. It’s anyone’s guess where they could soar from here.
8 The End Of An Era
Memes comparing Minecraft to Roblox or Terraria are all over the internet, since all three games had shutdown scares. It’s not clear where the Roblox rumour began, especially since it’s considered to be the most popular game in the world right now.
However, the Terraria scare actually held weight, since the game was actually concluded by the Journey’s End Update. These games all share similar elements to one another, but each puts a unique spin on their design that makes them different and appealing to players.
7 Truth…?
The truth can be hard to accept. Often, people prefer a good lie to a harsh truth. It’s interesting, in that case, that this was the exact opposite. The good news was the truth, and players all over the internet breathed a sigh of relief.
With so much bad news in the media these days, it’s refreshing to get a little respite in your favorite calming video game. Everyone has a game they prefer; for many, it’s the familiar world of Minecraft.
6 Depression Hits Hard
While Minecraft’s ending might not be as bad as Popeye’s chicken from this meme, it certainly ruined many long-time player’s days to hear that their favourite game might be shutting down. Without concrete evidence (or, at least, the drive or willpower to find it), lots of fans were left wondering.
Minecraft has come a long way since its official release in 2011, with villagers the player can trade with, new things to build, ocean monuments, and more! It probably isn’t going anywhere until they run out of ideas entirely.
5 Worthy Of Respect
When news first hit social media everywhere that Minecraft was “shutting down,” players were horrified. Many of them took it out on Fortnite fans, which may or may not have been influenced by the mention of Fortnite in the fake article.
The Minecraft vs. Fortnite rivalry gained even more strength, though Minecraft is older than Fortnite by far, as Minecraft players complained about Fortnite’s microtransactions and Fortnite players railed on Minecraft’s lack of fast-paced gameplay or advanced graphics.
4 Drake Knows Wassup
Sometimes, simple memes are the best memes. Something about the warm background and Drake’s smile help to relax the viewer, almost as if to say softly, “It isn’t shutting down. Everything is okay.”
As the crisis peaked and then began to come down and players realized there was nothing to worry about, memes such as this one teased people who’d believed in the rumours in the first place, simultaneously spreading the news that there was no cause for alarm.
3 What’s Worse?
COVID-19 has been a nightmare for the majority of 2020 and 2021. This meme seems like a very unfortunate game of “would you rather?” COVID has obviously been far worse than any video game shutdown could be, but therein lines the joke’s nuance.
At least if the COVID pandemic ended and Minecraft did shut down, players would be able to go outside and enjoy the fresh air — Minecraft was so vital for many people simply because it was something familiar to return to in a crisis.
2 Mixed Feelings On Microsoft
This meme was among the few positive ones circulating the internet when theories about Minecraft’s shutdown first exploded. Many players weren’t happy when Microsoft when bought out Mojang and took over Minecraft, insisting that the character and heart of the game would be ruined by a big, heartless corporation.
Though everyone has their own opinion on Minecraft’s most recent updates, Minecraft has managed to remain popular for much longer than other games its age.
1 Even Onions Aren’t This Bad
The panic about its potential shutdown had players reflecting on their favorite parts of the game as many mentally prepared to lose something they loved. Twitter became filled with tearful messages begging the Minecraft staff for answers, as well as with people sharing their stories, retweeting others’, and more.
When the initial fake article became popular, writers for other sites (who weren’t doing their research) started to publish the story in an effort to be ahead of the curve. It only worsened the cycle, since the original article would have revealed it was all a prank.
NEXT: Minecraft: 25 Tricks From The Game Players Have No Idea About
