There aren’t many certainties in this world besides death, taxes, and Minecraft. And Minecraft is about to get even bigger later this year, with a much-anticipated follow-up.
During Sunday’s Xbox Games Shows, Microsoft announced that Minecraft Dungeons 2 will be released Sept. 29 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Dungeons 2 was one of the only Xbox Game Studios-published titles shown during Microsoft’s latest showcase that’s coming to consoles besides the Xbox.
Like its direct predecessor, the latest from Mojang Studios will be another isometric dungeon crawler. “A new threat stirs, ready to descend upon the land and its inhabitants to cause unspeakable mayhem,” the game’s official website reads. “Become a hero and take on foes unlike anything you’ve faced before, journey through long‑forgotten locations, and clash with the forces of evil once more!”
The original Minecraft Dungeons was released in 2020 to solid critical reception. While it was described as a great introduction to Diablo-style looting, some viewed its streamlined approach as a bit too simplified. However, Mojang doesn’t necessarily have much incentive to cater to its detractors, as Dungeons was played by over 25 million players as of 2023. The spin-off’s impressive numbers are quite fitting, considering that Minecraft is one of the highest-selling games of all time. Besides selling many copies, another similarity between Dungeons and the original Minecraft is how well both have treated their player bases post-launch: Dungeons received extensive updates including additional endgame content, new biomes, and more.
Almost 15 years after Minecraft’s debut, the series shows no signs of slowing down. The original game is still regularly updated, and there have been two additional spin-offs besides Dungeons: there’s Telltale Games’ Minecraft: Story Mode and the action-strategy mashup Minecraft Legends. Last year, A Minecraft Movie overcame scathing reviews to become a fiscal smash, raking in more than $961 million at the box office. Steve has appeared in other series like the latest Super Smash Bros., and Minecraft has started doing Fortnite-style crossovers with popular series like Dragon Ball Z. In a landscape where most live-service games are struggling, this blocky phenomenon refuses to give an inch.
