In October 2020, Mojang Studios, the creators of Minecraft, had announced that moving forward, it would be migrating all Minecraft and Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts to improve security and to add other safety features.
The Java Edition players were given a year’s time to voluntarily migrate their Mojang account to a Microsoft account.
On Friday, the company announced the deadline for the migration. Starting March 10, 2022, all of Minecraft’s games will require a Microsoft account to play – including Minecraft: Java Edition as well as those who use the Minecraft launcher on PC.
In other words, no Mojang account will work after that date. Players who do not migrate their accounts by the suggested timeline will not be able to play Minecraft: Java Edition anymore.
Anyone interested in playing Minecraft: Java edition after the deadline will then need to do so directly with a Microsoft account.
“The voluntary migration period is closing soon. Starting March 10, 2022, you won’t be able to play Minecraft: Java Edition unless you move to a Microsoft account. We’re doing this to ensure that everyone is playing using accounts with improved security and player safety,” Mojang said on the official blog.
Players who transition a Mojang Account to a Microsoft Account will get several benefits such as:
- Increased account security with two-factor authentication.
- All PC Minecraft games will be connected to the same account. Currently, that’s Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft: Dungeons.
- Improved parental controls to help keep kids safe when playing online.
- Chat and invitation blocking.
Also, a Microsoft account will allow access to Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, Minecraft: Java Edition, and Minecraft Dungeons through the launcher, all through a single sign-in process.
The migration process is free of cost and only takes a couple of minutes to complete. According to the FAQ page, there will be no change in the gameplay, as all the game data, including username, progress, creations, and skins will be preserved.
The developers recommend creating a free account for those who haven’t transitioned to a Microsoft account before the deadline, as players will receive a free cape as a reward for their characters.
“If you’re reading this and still haven’t switched to a Microsoft account yet, make sure you do it before the deadline to claim your cape!. You’ll still get it if you migrate after March 10, but the earlier you jump on trends, the better! At least we think that’s how fashion works,” said Mojang.
Minecraft: Java Edition is now available through PC Game Pass along with Mojang’s other Minecraft games, as well as a unified Minecraft Launcher.