A big surprise at gamescom 2022 was Minecraft Legends. The popular block game is coming as a true strategy game. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus spoke with the creators.
At gamescom 2022, over 36 games were showcased, and dozens more were playable in the halls. However, I was skeptical beforehand, as only a few truly blockbuster titles were known or expected.
I was all the more surprised by the new game from the makers of Minecraft. Legends transforms Minecraft into a strategy game, where you play the commander of an army leading your troops to defend against the nasty Piglins.
Creative Director Magnus Nedfors and Executive Producer Dennis Ries invited me for an interview after the gameplay demo. I was able to ask them questions about the features and content of the game.
You can see the trailer for Minecraft Legends here:
Minecraft Legends is a ‘unique combination’
MeinMMO: How would you describe Minecraft Legends in your own words? What kind of genre is it?
Magnus Nedfors: “It’s a unique combination – the closest genre would probably be action strategy. The whole idea of the game is a strategy game, involving tactical and strategic thinking. Managing resources and troops, that sort of thing. But we wanted to incorporate the element of you yourself in this world.
Many strategy games simply use mouse pointers to control everything. We wanted a more personal approach, which is why the hero is in the game. Not many games do that; there were a few in the 90s. But that’s a relatively unique approach, so I can’t say: ‘That’s this genre.'”
MeinMMO: Do you only build outposts, or do you also create a proper base to defend?
Dennis Ries: “You can build outposts with the Wellhouses wherever you want in the world. You use them as a transport point and base to then advance against the enemy.”
MeinMMO: So it’s more about the gameplay where you build wherever you need for the attack, but without a proper base that’s being attacked?
Magnus Nedfors: “In some situations in the game, you will need to defend specific locations, and you will want to expand there. So, there is a bit of defensive gameplay.”
A significant part of the story is supposed to involve water as an element that gives life and symbolizes flow. More details will be learned while playing.
MeinMMO: You showed us the marketplace. Can you at least tell us a bit about what it exactly is?
Magnus Nedfors: “No, at least not what exactly it is. What I can tell you is: Look at what the marketplace is in vanilla. In Legends, it’s similar. How we are expanding the player experience for players.”
MeinMMO: I’m asking only because people have been very sensitive about marketplaces recently.
Magnus Nedfors: “We at Mojang have a particular way of monetizing. These aren’t loot boxes or microtransactions. What we deliver should have value.”
“The whole campaign is coopable”
MeinMMO: How can I play with or against friends?
Dennis Ries: “You can play with friends in coop mode, up to 4 people on PC and high-end consoles and up to 2 on older consoles like Switch. In versus mode, which we can’t discuss yet, you will be able to compete against friends.”
MeinMMO: The focus is then on the coop?
Magnus Nedfors: “The whole campaign is ‘coopable.’ [laughs] Is that even a word? It’s your world; your friends can join you and leave again. You can do everything together, but [Minecraft Legends] is also an open world. So one might take one path while the other takes another to defend two bases simultaneously.”
MeinMMO: Does everyone control their own army, or do all players share a common unit limit?
Magnus Nedfors: “There are various systems that are shared, such as resources. But everyone has their own unit limit that they can control, and there’s enough for everyone to do when they manage their army.”
MeinMMO: Is it easier to play with more players? For example, if I have two people, each with their own unit limit, that would give me a double-sized army.
Magnus Nedfors: “As I’ve said, resources are shared. I can gather resources faster when 2 players collect them. But the maximum amount of resources I can have is the same as a single player and in coop.”
We try to balance the challenge of the game this way to ensure it remains challenging even with more players. But it may feel easier because you can take a more tactical approach. Something like: ‘If you distract the opponent over there, I can attack from here.’ For us, that’s the fun of the game. But I wouldn’t call it easier, just a different experience. A different type of gameplay.”
With the variety of units, it’s also possible to divide into specific roles. For example, one player can take on the front fighters, another the back row, and a third the support units.
“With this new strategy game, we are reaching a whole new class of players”
MeinMMO: Why Minecraft as the world for the game?
Magnus Nedfors: “The main reason we are expanding our world is to create more types of games, so more people can enjoy the wonderful universe of Minecraft. And the reason we are making this game exactly, in this strange genre that doesn’t really exist, is: We tried to create games that people in the studio want to play.
And a few people, including Dennis and me, thought: ‘Hey, a strategy game in Minecraft sounds really cool.’ That’s how it started. But mainly it’s about giving players more opportunities to experience Minecraft.”
MeinMMO: You said that the action component of the game will be relatively small. What kind of players are you trying to appeal to?
Dennis Ries: “With this new strategy game, we are reaching a whole new class of players who don’t yet know Minecraft. For us, that’s a good opportunity to get them to give it a try. Bringing this strategy element to those players who are interested in Minecraft but haven’t wanted to play it opens up new possibilities.”
Magnus Nedfors: “It’s a broad approach for many different types of players. A bit like what we did with Minecraft Dungeons, when we made dungeon crawlers more accessible. That’s roughly what we want to do here with strategy games. [Minecraft Legends] is an easier way into this genre than, forgive me, hardcore-type strategy games. That’s a niche we want to open up a bit more and bring in more players.”
MeinMMO: Speaking of Dungeons: What gameplay from Minecraft Dungeons was adopted here? The whole slashing seems quite similar.
Magnus Nedfors: “[laughs] That’s a tricky question. None at all. But, but! Yes, there are weapons in both games that you can swing around. They exist in vanilla as well. But the games are very different. And because you also asked why we are making this game: We want our games to be distinct.
The common theme is the universe of Minecraft; that’s the core. You can recognize certain enemies and environments. But we are not taking a piece of Dungeons gameplay and packing it into the next game. We want to keep that separate. They are different experiences in terms of gameplay.”
Dennis Ries: “What Dungeons taught us is that it’s not about what specific gameplay elements Legends could bring, but how much our players want new experiences. [Dungeons] was received very well. The insight we gained from that could be transferred to Legends. Dungeons taught us a lot; it’s not just about individual game elements.”
“The progress lies in your ability to command your army”
MeinMMO: Regarding progress: I think I only saw Steve with the diamond sword. Do I start with that, or can I level up in some way?
Magnus Nedfors: “The progress lies in your ability to command your army. This includes types of units, how many you can control, and what you can do with them. That’s the progress system. You as a hero are what you start with. The story will explain this a bit. There’s no character development in the sense of: my stats, my abilities, my equipment. My ability to grow is entirely about the units I command.”
MeinMMO: About the units: Can you group them like in strategy games?
Magnus Nedfors: “Short answer: Yes.”
Dennis Ries: “It works a bit differently, but you can command the units very directly. You can specifically tell your ranged units to attack that building, for example.”
MeinMMO: How exactly does resource gathering work? Are there just these two types of fairies gathering for me?
Magnus Nedfors: “Those are the Allays. One type builds, the other collects. That’s why there are the two colors.”
MeinMMO: How do I get more of them?
Magnus Nedfors: “The way you get upgrades in this game is through friends. And that is a kind of upgrade. Initially, you only have a few, then there will be more.”
MeinMMO: But how exactly do I upgrade? How do I get better?
Magnus Nedfors: “You have a bit of progress through the story but also through gathering materials and building different buildings. Some buildings grant you new abilities.”
MeinMMO: And do I have to complete quests or gather reputation to unlock new buildings?
Magnus Needfors: “There are no proper quests or missions. At the beginning of the game, you will be guided a bit more in what you are supposed to do. But that’s more of a tutorial than a series of quests. After that, you are free to do what you want. There are no missions directly, nor is there a reputation system. It’s more about actions that help others. The villagers and other creatures will then follow you.”
MeinMMO: Do I have more than one of these “Wellhouses” around which I can build my base?
Magnus Nedfors: “If you strip the whole world of its wood and stone, you can’t build any more. So there is a limit, but if you want, you can place three of them next to each other. And if you want, you can also create a small empire.”
We had a lot of fun at gamescom 2022, and editor-in-chief Leya Jankwoski even found it much better than expected. You can see our highlights in the video:
“The focus here is on the overworld. Everything takes place there.”
MeinMMO: I saw that the villagers had a chest in their village. Do they just gather stuff for me?
Magnus Needfors: “More or less, yes.”
MeinMMO: When I start, am I already friends with everyone, or do I have to prove myself?
Magnus Needfors: “You’ve seen how we walked through this zombie settlement. They are neutral to you at the beginning, just like everyone. But in this legend, in this time, everyone lives in the same world without fighting. That’s the status quo. Everyone is neutral, and you have to start befriending the creatures, earning their trust.”
MeinMMO: How exactly do I befriend the creatures?
Magnus Nedfors: “That’s different for each type of creature. You have to protect villagers from Piglins. Zombies and skeletons have other requirements. The easiest way is to play the game. That way you understand what you need to do. No quests, but options to do specific things. Mainly, you will have to battle Piglins. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the core of the game.”
MeinMMO: Will I eventually attack the Nether myself after pushing back the invasion?
Magnus Needfors: “[laughs] Uh, no. Not in this game.”
Dennis Ries: “The focus here is on the overworld. Everything takes place there.”
MeinMMO: So I’m only defending here first?
Both: “Yes, exactly.”
MeinMMO: You mentioned the base of the big boss of the Piglins, which can be found somewhere in the world. Am I working towards that, or because the world is procedurally generated, could it happen that I spawn right at its doorstep?
Both laugh.
Magnus Nedfors: “Not really. We have a bit of progress that happens through the story. I play the story, and certain things happen. You’ve seen the cutscenes where new troops come through the portal. That’s how it keeps going.”
How much Minecraft is actually in Legends?
MeinMMO: What similarities will vanilla players of Minecraft find in Legends?
Magnus Nedfors: “Mainly the universe. It’s obviously a Minecraft game. We want the [players] to feel at home. In this game, we tell a somewhat longer story compared to the other games. As a fan of Minecraft or Dungeons, you can learn a bit more about a specific legend here.”
Dennis Ries: “Additionally, the world is also procedurally generated and uses Bedrock, the same engine as vanilla Minecraft. There are many basic similarities; you can recognize that it’s Minecraft just by looking at the game.”
Magnus Nedfors: “Gathering resources, building structures, and so forth will all be done in different ways, but it’s still there. In vanilla you build block by block. Here you build your outpost and still retain some creative freedom.”
MeinMMO: But you are still only building predefined buildings, right?
Magnus Nedfors: “Yes. As a player, you can’t design your own buildings, but how your base looks in the end can differ greatly. When we play in the office as a team, some people are really meticulous. They want one tower precisely on this block. Others say: ‘bababababa [he mimics a wild mess with his hands] Yeah, that looks good.’”
Dennis Ries: “I am that player.”
MeinMMO: Is it possible to change the appearance, for example, with cosmetics? For example, if I want a Viking castle?
Magnus Nedfors: “Viking style. I like that.”
Dennis Ries: “You can choose your character, but we don’t have character creation in Legends.”
MeinMMO: And what about the buildings and troops?
Dennis Ries: “You can’t change the appearance of your units, at least not at launch.”
Magnus Nedfors: “Viking Minecraft. I suggest that!”
MeinMMO: What about mods? Will you allow that?
Dennis Ries: “We are not talking about that yet. It’s Bedrock, so it may be easier for the community if they want that. But we can’t say anything about it yet.”
Minecraft Legends is “not endless. There is an end.”
MeinMMO: How big is the world, actually? Is it as big as vanilla Minecraft?
Magnus Nedfors: “No, it’s not endless. There is an end. To be honest, I don’t yet know how big exactly the world is. We are still in development and have to decide how many bases there are and that sort of thing. We are still adjusting that, which affects how large the world will be. I would say it feels large, with its many different biomes. It’s interesting to travel through the world. Our goal is for it to feel like there’s plenty of space, many places worth fighting for. But we have no intention of having an endless world like vanilla.”
MeinMMO: Since this has recently been a topic: What happens when I reach the end of the world?
Both laugh.
Magnus Nedfors: “That’s a thing?”
MeinMMO: Yes. Recently a streamer walked to the end of the world and checked what happens then.
If you missed the story:
Magnus Nedfors: “Ah, in vanilla? I didn’t hear about that; I need to check it out.”
Dennis Ries: “That sounds pretty cool.”
Magnus Nedfors: “I can’t say too much about it, but the more games we make, the more we think about what goes beyond this world. How is the Minecraft world infinite yet seemingly not?”
MeinMMO: And what exactly happens in this game when I reach the edge of the map?
Dennis Ries: “You reach water. We’re playing on an island.”
MeinMMO: What exactly are the biomes? Do I find different things there, or what are they good for?
Magnus Nedfors: “There are different things in the biomes, but for me, they are primarily about variety. Just like in vanilla, there are basic materials everywhere, but other resources are more likely to be found in certain biomes. They are meant to create a nicer world, be exciting to explore, and allow the world to be experienced in different ways. More like a feeling we want to evoke.”
Dennis Ries: “[Biomes] make the world feel more alive. And as Magnus said, some of these biomes will have certain resources more frequently. So if you’re looking for something specific, you’ll know where to find it eventually.”
The story lasts “18.73 hours” – approximately
MeinMMO: Regarding the story: You said the game will have an end. How long will a playthrough take?
Magnus Nedfors: “A classic question that’s always hard to answer. When I look at how differently people play the game, it’s hard to give an exact number. If I speedrun, it might take me 10 hours. If I’m playing for fun, I might spend 40 hours in the game. Quality assurance is probably faster than me; they always are. But I would say… about 18.5 hours.”
Dennis Ries: “There’s an area that will be different for everyone. But yes, maybe 18.73 hours. [he seems serious, then laughs]”
MeinMMO: What about replayability?
Magnus Nedfors: “Since it’s a procedurally generated world, the experience is always different. I often play the game in many different versions and still think it’s fun. That’s what makes replayability for me. The story will be the same; after all, there’s a beginning, middle, and end. But I still keep playing again and again, because due to procedural generation, the enemies come from a different direction, for example.”
Dennis Ries: “The Piglin bases will also have unique positions, like right next to a mountain. Then I wonder: How do I take that? And sometimes they are in open fields and provide a different challenge. That’s what makes the game unique for every playthrough.”
MeinMMO: Are there new types of creatures that we don’t yet know about?
Magnus Nedfors: “The golems you control are new. Some of the Piglins are also different from those you know from vanilla. There will be some new friends and foes.”
In Minecraft Legends there are many types of enemies, called “hordes.” They all consist of Piglins, but each has their own characteristic traits. The Bastion horde, for example, relies on defensive buildings and tactics. The creators didn’t reveal what other hordes await us.
The bosses are also open to building on Legends to explore how much more is in Minecraft and what can be done with the universe.
“We’re not going so far that you can adjust your eyebrows”
MeinMMO: Can I only play as humans or also as zombies?
Magnus Nedfors: “The hero is not necessarily a human. He is an extension of you as a player, and you are a human, but what they are in the world is hard to say. They are humanoid. They can look different. I’m not sure, but I believe we don’t have a zombie skin for that.”
MeinMMO: What kind of customization options can I expect? Can I only choose between male and female?
Magnus Nedfors: “Gender is a rather vague term. We don’t say: this is a woman, this is a man. And we’re not going so far that you can adjust your eyebrows. Minecraft graphics are relatively blocky, the representation is pixelated. So it’s rather at higher levels what exactly you can customize.”
A Buy2Play game with a future
MeinMMO: Can you already say something about the price?
Dennis Ries: “Not yet.”
MeinMMO: But it will be a Buy2Play title?
A friendly lady from PR responds for both from the background: “Yes, and it will be available on Game Pass.”
MeinMMO: Are you also working on DLCs that will be released after the launch?
Dennis Ries: “We’re not talking about DLCs yet, but if you look at our franchise, you’ll see a certain tradition there. But we can’t say anything about that yet.”
MeinMMO: Thank you for the answers!
Minecraft Legends was my biggest surprise at gamescom 2022, but not the only one. Among the smaller titles, I discovered several that really convinced me:
3 cool games from gamescom that are surprisingly good despite simple concepts
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