Microsoft unveils ‘Minecraft Legends,’ a real-time action strategy launching in 2023

Mojang Studios announced the expansion of the Minecraft franchise through a work developed together with the development team Blackbird Interactive. Called Minecraft Legends, this new chapter will be made available to Xbox consoles and PC, Game Pass, and Xbox Cloud Gaming in 2023.

Microsoft described Minecraft Legend as a new action strategy game that will still be based on the Minecraft universe. Nonetheless, gamers will be faced with new challenges in the Overworld. “In Minecraft Legends, players will discover a gentle land, both familiar and mysterious, full of lush biomes and rich resources,” says Dennis Ries, Minecraft Legends Executive Producer. “But this beautiful land is on the brink of terrible change – the piglin invasion has begun and threatens to corrupt the Overworld. It´s up to the player to make unexpected friends (including some classic mobs you’ll recognize from Minecraft) to form valuable alliances and lead the way into strategic battles against the fierce invaders from the Nether.”

In the announcement, Xbox noted that Minecraft Legends will be offering online campaign co-op and competitive multiplayer, allowing interaction with friends. Nonetheless, the company still hasn’t divulged any detail on what the multiplayer will be. On a positive note, Xbox said it will share more about it “later this year.”

This is not the first time Minecraft has tried to expand its franchise. It previously worked with Blackbird Interactive, which resulted in the now-defunct Minecraft Earth. On the other hand, we saw a rather successful expansion of the franchise in its introduction of Minecraft Dungeons, which was created through the help of Double Eleven, a game development studio based in Middlesbrough, England. With the spotty results of its expansion efforts, the future of the upcoming Minecraft Legends is a mystery. Nonetheless, Xbox promised that it “will introduce many surprises for both new and seasoned Minecraft player alike,” telling us Mojang will be more dedicated to making this new chapter more interesting in the longer run.