Minecraft developer Mojang has announced that the annual Minecon convention is coming to the ExCel centre in London on 4 and 5 July.
The event, which hosts panel discussions and parties all themed around the hugely successful building sim, usually sells out in hours. The 10,000 tickets are due to go on sale in February.
Minecon began as a spontaneous gathering of Minecraft fans in Bellevue, Washington in 2010. The game’s creator, Markus “Notch” Persson, in the city at the time, had expressed an interest in meeting some players and a thread quickly formed on the official forum. About 100 fans turned up. The following year, 5,000 people attended the first official Minecon, held at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas.
“This summer we are heading to London, UK to hang out with 10,000 of our closest friends (hint: that’s you!),” wrote Mojang COO on the company’s website. “As usual there will be panels, contests, tournaments, events and a soon-to-be-announced show-of-some-sort for our Saturday night bash.”
It’s been a transitional time for Mojang. In September, Microsoft announced that it would be buying the Swedish studio for $2.5bn, leading to mixed reactions from the community, many of whom were concerned that the nature of the game, and its creators, would be altered.
Community events are becoming a popular method for developers to connect with fans who often support game projects from very early in development. CCP, the creator of the massively multiplayer space game Eve Online, holds its chaotic Fanfest every year in Reykjavík, inviting dedicated players on what is effectively a three-day party. The annual Blizzcon event attracts over 25,000 fans of developer Blizzard, creator of the World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Hearthstone titles.
The Minecraft 2015 line-up has yet to be announced, but it’s likely many of the game’s star YouTube players will be in attendance. Players such as Stampy Cat and Diamond Minecart have earned audiences of millions through their daily Minecraft videos.
