Mineplex, Former Top Minecraft Server, Pivots After Sudden Closure and Acquisition to Launch the Mineplex Studio, a Suite of Tools to Build Online Games

Dallas, TX, September 15, 2023 --(PR.com)-- Background

Mineplex has transformed significantly after historically garnering millions of unique active monthly players. After a sudden and unannounced shutdown in May of 2023, portions of the company were acquired by former members of the community. Under new ownership, the Mineplex team listened to customer feedback and noticed that many players were deeply engaged with the overall game development process. Inspired by innovations in the gaming space from titles like Roblox and Fortnite, Mineplex invented the Studio to empower players to develop games surpassing those they previously played on Mineplex servers and in other titles.

After the 2023 shutdown and restructure of the company, Mineplex received many requests to relaunch both the Java and Bedrock servers, alongside an overwhelming interest in game developer positions. After considering the skills and interests of the community, along with Mineplex’s long-term goals of inspiring and empowering creators, the team decided to create the Studio.

Features

Managed Infrastructure and Project Hosting

Minecraft servers have historically been plagued by hosting complications including frequent network downtime and high infrastructure costs, which have ultimately forced many otherwise viable teams to cease operations.

In the last six months, Mineplex has expanded upon its historical strengths by hiring and consulting industry experts from major cloud providers and gaming companies. The team worked with these experts to architect brand-new, cutting-edge gaming infrastructure aimed at bridging critical gaps in the Minecraft game development space.

Games hosted on the Studio receive built-in benefits such as DDoS protection, automatic container orchestration and scaling, straightforward global deployments, and high availability through redundancy. These features are provided for Studio games at no extra cost, allowing developers to focus exclusively on building gameplay.

Gameplay Modules and Development Tools

To further lower the barrier to entry for game publishing, the Studio includes a robust set of modules that provide core functionality. In fact, many of Mineplex’s classic minigames that attracted millions of unique players can be created simply by connecting different Studio modules together.

Here is a preview of some of the initial Studio modules Mineplex is announcing today:

Chat: exposes tools to customize chat functionality, including adding new channels, controlling filtering and audiences, rendering, and more

Data Storage: replaces traditional databases to store and query persistent information, including sharing relevant data between games through a “namespaces” feature

Leaderboards and Statistics: tracks and displays real-time player statistics and leaderboards

Matchmaking, Parties, and Elo: provides matchmaking (including input-type, ping, and Elo-based matching), party functionality, and more

Game Engine: a set of tools to provide immersive and dynamic gameplay experiences, with abilities, crucial gameplay mechanics, teams, kits, and more

A complete list of Studio modules and more information is available at studio.mineplex.com/docs.

Mineplex is also releasing a custom command-line interface (CLI) to help new developers bootstrap projects, perform live debugging within managed infrastructure, and spin up remote testing containers. This CLI supports industry-standard features like seamless iterative test environments that were previously inaccessible to most Minecraft developers. More information and downloads for macOS, Windows, and Linux will be available soon on the Mineplex Studio website.

Monetization and Publishing

Developers who build games in the Studio can publish and monetize their work on the primary Mineplex network.

Mineplex provides a standard set of tools that allow games to sell both one-time consumables and subscriptions using Mineplex Crowns, a new and consolidated in-game currency. Furthermore, Mineplex is raising the industry bar with a generous payout system based on revenue sharing. Developers receive a default 35% share of all purchases associated with their game modes.

All infrastructure, moderation, anticheat, publishing, and other costs are covered by Mineplex. Once published, games become available on the entire public Mineplex network.

Getting Started

The Mineplex Studio will launch publicly later this year.

To get started with the Studio after the full release, individuals or teams can register for an account at studio.mineplex.com and purchase a developer subscription. Subscriptions start at $15 per month for teams and include unlimited remote container testing and basic support from the Mineplex team.

The Studio is cross-platform by default and supports a variety of game types, including short and long-form games, persistent and ephemeral worlds, and more.