In Minecraft big changes are coming. It may soon be possible to experience the blocky world with over 1,000 players at the same time.
Minecraft is one of the most successful and longest-lasting video games available. However, while a large part of the engine is still based on data from its early days, there is a desire from players for new features, a larger maximum player count, and technical improvements.
What is it about? As techradar magazine reports, Minecraft developer Mojang has teamed up with the startup Hadean to develop new possibilities for Minecraft. This is supposed to involve “new game modes and experiences”.
This is expected to lift the limit of 99 players in a lobby. The Aether Engine is expected to help create new possibilities, allowing players to have even more adventures in the blocky world.
How does it work? Normally, developers have to strike a balance between size and performance to create a cool multiplayer experience. The Aether Engine is said to be a “game changer” and allows for new design possibilities. The system is expected to be able to dynamically adjust the necessary resources and provide more power when more performance is needed. In initial tests, it was possible to allow more than 1,000 players at the same time, creating a wealth of new game modes and possibilities.
The limit can already be lifted: The limit of 99 players is standard, but it can already be bypassed – as long as the server computer can handle it. As long as more resources in terms of CPU and RAM can be thrown at the problem, the maximum player count is practically limitless. However, reaching new highs with significantly fewer resources would be a clear relief for everyone – both players and developers as well as hosting services for Minecraft servers.
When will there be new information? It is still unclear. The collaboration is still quite fresh, and it may take a while before such features are implemented. Minecraft has a rather leisurely patch cycle, with only one to two major updates released per year – like the recent Patch 1.16. Incorporating such new features into a major patch will likely require additional time.
In the long run, this is a good sign, as more players who can cause chaos on a server also means more fun – and significantly larger building projects. As long as they do not have exactly a height of 49 blocks…
Would you be excited about new modes and more players in Minecraft? Or do you prefer to always play with a small, selected circle of friends?
