Mojang shuts down community-run Minecraft servers: Difference between revisions
Fixing some bugs with the templates |
Background expansion - ineffective enforcement against legitimately bad actors |
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Minecraft is split into 2 specific versions of the game: Java Edition (JE) and Bedrock Edition (BE). JE is exclusive to PC platforms, and is traditionally where most 3rd-party multiplayer servers are hosted,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--May not be super neccessary, but I feel like it would improve the professional appearance of the article to show data on where most of the MC servers are hosted. - JamesTDG--> such as Hypixel, McWar, and DonutSMP. Most of these servers being shut down are on JE as well,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--Mostly need something listing all of the servers that have been taken down by Mojang.--> as BE's multiplayer system is far more compartmentalized and controlled by Microsoft,<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jun 9, 2024 |title=Request to Continue Providing PDB Files in Future BDS Versions |url=https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/community/posts/27425253557389-Request-to-Continue-Providing-PDB-Files-in-Future-BDS-Versions |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Minecraft Feedback}}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--Needs to be data on how to start a BE server--> leading to fewer servers being determined as "violating the EULA". | Minecraft is split into 2 specific versions of the game: Java Edition (JE) and Bedrock Edition (BE). JE is exclusive to PC platforms, and is traditionally where most 3rd-party multiplayer servers are hosted,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--May not be super neccessary, but I feel like it would improve the professional appearance of the article to show data on where most of the MC servers are hosted. - JamesTDG--> such as Hypixel, McWar, and DonutSMP. Most of these servers being shut down are on JE as well,{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--Mostly need something listing all of the servers that have been taken down by Mojang.--> as BE's multiplayer system is far more compartmentalized and controlled by Microsoft,<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jun 9, 2024 |title=Request to Continue Providing PDB Files in Future BDS Versions |url=https://feedback.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/community/posts/27425253557389-Request-to-Continue-Providing-PDB-Files-in-Future-BDS-Versions |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Minecraft Feedback}}</ref>{{Citation needed|reason=Check comment}}<!--Needs to be data on how to start a BE server--> leading to fewer servers being determined as "violating the EULA". | ||
Most shutdowns are currently handled via blacklisting the server URL as a hash,<ref name=":0" /> however, its effectiveness has been proven to only work against non-malicious servers, as servers such as Minepot have been jumping domains to circumvent any block from Mojang.<ref>{{Cite web |last=TheMisterEpic |date=Feb 7, 2026 |title=Exposing the Most ILLEGAL Minecraft Server I've EVER Seen... |url=https://youtu.be/XgCvuUoj6mA |access-date=Feb 8, 2026 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> | |||
==Shutdowns== | ==Shutdowns== | ||
===Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3)<!--Unsure if I should include this one: https://web.archive.org/web/20251022084718/https://saicopvp.com/forums/threads/genuine-question-is-saico-getting-shutdown-eula.273955/-->=== | ===Server Blacklist - Circa 2016 (Version 1.9.3)<!--Unsure if I should include this one: https://web.archive.org/web/20251022084718/https://saicopvp.com/forums/threads/genuine-question-is-saico-getting-shutdown-eula.273955/-->=== | ||
When Minecraft version 1.9.3 pre-release 2 released, the client had an encrypted "server blacklist"<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/ceruleanReverie |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Mojang's "server blacklist", what it is, and why it's a big deal |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/4hh3ns/mojangs_server_blacklist_what_it_is_and_why_its_a/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Minecraft}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Blocked server list |url=https://sessionserver.mojang.com/blockedservers |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Mojang.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=15773 |date=Feb 24, 2016 |title=Mojang EULA Enforcement |url=https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251022040914/https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-date=Oct 22, 2025 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Spigot Forums}}</ref> which if the user attempted to access a server that was on this blacklist, they would only receive a "connection error". When this list was discovered shortly after the update, the blacklist carried only 31 servers/domains, currently, this list reaches >100 servers.<ref name=":3" /><!--Would love to include this as a ref, but the domain has been usurped by a malicious actor, would give better insight into who was banned at the time: | When Minecraft version 1.9.3 pre-release 2 released, the client had an encrypted "server blacklist"<ref>{{Cite web |last=u/ceruleanReverie |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Mojang's "server blacklist", what it is, and why it's a big deal |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Minecraft/comments/4hh3ns/mojangs_server_blacklist_what_it_is_and_why_its_a/ |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=[[Reddit]] - r/Minecraft}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Blocked server list |url=https://sessionserver.mojang.com/blockedservers |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Mojang.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=15773 |date=Feb 24, 2016 |title=Mojang EULA Enforcement |url=https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251022040914/https://www.spigotmc.org/threads/mojang-eula-enforcement.125792/ |archive-date=Oct 22, 2025 |access-date=Feb 4, 2026 |website=Spigot Forums}}</ref> which if the user attempted to access a server that was on this blacklist, they would only receive a "connection error". When this list was discovered shortly after the update, the blacklist carried only 31 servers/domains, currently, this list reaches >100 servers.<ref name=":3" /><!--Would love to include this as a ref, but the domain has been usurped by a malicious actor, would give better insight into who was banned at the time: | ||
https://blocklist.tcpr.ca/--><!--Modern ban list? | https://blocklist.tcpr.ca/--><!--Modern ban list? | ||
https://github.com/sudofox/mojang-blocklist/blob/master/data/identified.txt-->While some of these servers were reasonably determined to be violating the EULA at the time, not all of them received fair punishment, especially as the company refused to transparently communicate with the overall community over these issues. | https://github.com/sudofox/mojang-blocklist/blob/master/data/identified.txt-->While some of these servers were reasonably determined to be violating the EULA at the time, not all of them received fair punishment, especially as the company refused to transparently communicate with the overall community over these issues. | ||