Minecraft Legendsaims to delve in a point inMinecrafthistory that has yet to be explored. This has implications for both the lore of the world and for future storytelling methods. Ever since dungeons were added toMinecraftback in its alpha developmental phase, many have pondered what kind of history the in-game universe held.
The potential for official lore insideMinecrafthas only grown over the years thanks to the addition of abandoned mineshafts, the Ender Dragon, and all kinds of other details. There are clear signs of ancient civilizations and conflicts, but there’s nothing concrete in terms of what it might have looked like.
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Minecraft’s History With Lore
With the release of more recent updates and the introduction of spin-off titles,Minecraft’s lore has increased substantially in the last few years. Previously, mineshafts, strongholds, and the occasional dungeon were all the world had to offer. There was always a hint of history to the world, but never much more than that. But with theaddition of the mysterious Allays inMinecraft1.19, as well as ancient cities, there’s more evidence than ever to suggest that grand civilizations existed before the player arrived.
Minecraft Legendsmakes it seem like Mojang intends to deepenMinecraft’s lore.Minecraft Legendsshows thatNether portalshave the ability to spread a sort of corruption, which was hinted at by the ruined Nether portals added to the game two years beforeMinecraft Legendswas announced.Minecraft Legendstakes place at the time the ruined portals were created, making it a prequel to the original game. However, Mojang has stated the game is an elaboration of a myth, making it unreliable in the canon. This means the events ofMinecraft Legendsare in the paradoxical position of being neither totally true nor false. Regardless, the existence of myths suggests that Mojang intends to deepen theMinecraftuniverse from a storytelling standpoint. If this trend continues,Minecraftmay see new forms of storytelling that have yet to be used, such as lore books.
IfMojang intends to give Minecraft historymore depth, lore books might be just what they need. Lore books are not a new idea when it comes video games. Franchises likeThe Elder Scrollsoftenuse them to tell grand stories that enrich the history of their respective worlds, but for a video game likeMinecraft, this would be completely unheard of. The closestMinecrafthas gotten to written in-game lore are certain music discs which to tell a story through sounds rather than words. Much of current in-game lore is purely interpretive, with a broad amount of possibilities but with nothing set in stone.
While written lore doesn’t exist within the game, there do exist hard copy books such asMobestiary, which details the anatomy of everyMinecraftmobat the time of its release. This is where the distinction between in-game and out-of-game lore begins to get a little muddy. While some sources continue to push the idea that theMinecraftuniverse has a detailed history, the original game does the opposite. Most in-game lore references are vague, making it more of an interpretive, visual experience. Lore books might be counter-intuitive in that case, going against the pre-established grain.
Whatever Mojang does afterMinecraft Legends, it will ultimately endorse one style of storytelling over another. If precedent for the original game continues, then fans can expect more of the interpretive styleMinecraftin update 1.20 and beyond. If not, a new age of world building and lore will come toMinecraft,giving new insight intoMinecraft’s untold history.
Minecraft Legendsreleases in early 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
