Minecraft developer Mojang has issued a final warning for anybody still using a legacy account to play the game, also known as a Minecraft Premium account. Microsoft purchased the incredibly successful open-world game and its development studio in 2014, but it wasn’t until six years later that the company began to require people to migrate from a Mojang to a Microsoft account to play Minecraft.

This specifically applies to those who play Minecraft Java Edition, the original version of the game, and people with Mojang accounts have received emails and prompts over the years to make the switch, which is relatively hassle free to do. However, Minecraft is 11 years old, and even older for those who enjoyed the pre-release builds of the game. Many players may have moved on before the mandatory account migrations were announced, unaware that access to their Minecraft world might one day go poof.

Mojang has issued a final call to any Java Edition players who haven’t yet switched their legacy Minecraft account to a Microsoft one. The ability to migrate accounts will end on September 19, 2023, at 11:00 AM EST. Anybody who has not made the move by that time will find themselves unable to log in to Minecraft.net or the Minecraft Launcher. Two weeks before that date, beginning on September 5, support will end for any migration-related help tickets.

Mojang is requiring the migration to a Microsoft account for security and convenience reasons. Players will gain the option to enable two-factor authentication and will also be able to access all their PC Minecraft titles from a single account. These include Minecraft, Minecraft Dungeons, and the recently released real-time strategy game Minecraft Legends.

There are many versions of Minecraft, so many in fact that newcomers may feel a bit lost about which to purchase. In addition to the Education Edition that many people will be familiar with from school, the main versions are Java and Bedrock. Java is the original version, is available on PC only, and is more adapted for those who like to play with or develop mods. Minecraft Bedrock Edition was released in 2017 and was made with cross-platform play in mind, making it ideal for those who like to team up with friends.

There are also various Legacy Console Editions of the game that were released for different platforms like Xbox 360, PS3, and New Nintendo 3DS over the years. These versions are no longer updated and are considered discontinued. Either way, anybody who hasn’t played Minecraft in a while might want to double check if they have a legacy account that needs a quick migration over to Microsoft.

Minecraft is currently available on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and legacy platforms.

Source: gamerant.com