Summary
- Minecraft's updated key art showcases the game's evolution with new biomes, mobs, and gameplay elements, representing its expansive updates.
- Previous key art variations reflected different aspects of Minecraft's gameplay, from exploration to combat, highlighting the game's core tenets.
- The transition to modern key art in 2024 features Steve and Alex in diverse biomes with various mobs, marking a new chapter for the game's representation.
Video game cover, key, or promotional art can intrigue new players to try out a game or entice old ones to discover a new game’s secrets and gameplay just waiting to be experienced. The artwork may forever influence players’ perspectives or attachment to games and make it difficult for players to adjust to new art when updates or remakes are introduced. Such was the case for the difference in cover art between 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved and 2011’s Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Minecraft, one of the most popular games in the world, will now face this potentially difficult transition with the introduction of new Minecraft key art.
In congruence with Minecraft’s 15th Anniversary, Mojang decided to update its key art that will now feature on the game’s box cover art, digital storefronts, and their own PC launcher. According to Mojang’s Director of Creative Communications Owen Jones, the change in key art was made to better represent the game after having received numerous expansive updates over the years. The new art doesn’t feature every new mob, ore, or block in modern Minecraft, but it highlights some of the more popular and prominent aspects added to Minecraft throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
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New Minecraft Key Art Includes Modern Additions
The key art is headlined by game protagonists Steve and Alex ahead of a player flying with an elytra and an allay holding what appears to be a block of gold ore. In the background of the key art, at least 10 of Minecraft's many varied biomes can be seen from the badlands hoodoo rock formations to the pink tree cherry grove and even underground biomes such as the lush caves. Among these biomes, many relatively new mobs can be seen in action, such as axolotls, bees, frogs, goats, illagers, parrots, polar bears, and sniffers to name a few.
Past Minecraft Key Art Reflects the Game's History
All of Minercraft’s cover, key, and promotional art work towards expressing one of the game’s core tenets: letting players form their own adventure. This can be seen even in Minecraft’s key and cover art in 2012. Perhaps most famously seen as the cover art for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, this cover art only depicts Steve as the protagonist, since Alex wouldn’t be added until 2014. This art depicts only the forest biome as the setting alongside early Minecraft’s classic, randomly generated stone pillars that no longer appear in the game. This art was also used for Minecraft: Xbox One Edition.
In 2013, Minecraft was ported to the PlayStation 3 as Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition, and with it, new cover art was made for the game. Unlike the bright, hopeful art of Steve running towards his next adventure with a tamed wolf, this art depicts Steve in a dark cave, covered in diamond armor and charging toward a horde of skeletons, spiders, and zombies. It appears to highlight more of Minecraft’s combat and dangers than the exploratory nature of the game. This art was also used for Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition.
Modern Minecraft Key Art
The next major change in key art for Minecraft would appear in 2015 with Minecraft: Wii U Edition. Here, Steve and Alex are featured together for the first time. The two stand back to back with a saddled pig, preparing to fight creepers, endermen, skeletons, and zombies at dusk. This art was also used for Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition. Finally, the last major key art introduced before the 2024 incarnation was introduced in 2017 following the Better Together Update. This new art would eventually be used on all remaining Minecraft platforms receiving updates, depicting Steve and Alex atop a mountain with a cave full of mobs looking over their house, lakes, rivers, deserts, forests, and mountain ranges.
All of Minecraft’s key and cover art is made in a shiny, plastic-like texture as opposed to the game’s normal, traditionally pixelated texture.
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!
Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.
Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Mojang
- Publisher(s)
- Mojang
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical or Horizontal
- Platform(s)
- 3DS, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
- How Long To Beat
- 129 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 1.42 GB (August 2024)
- Metascore
- 93
