AsMinecrafthas become more popular, Mojang has been branching the property into different experiences.Minecraft Dungeonsis an action RPGbased onMinecraft’s mobs and art style, whileMinecraft: Education Editionis an alternate version of the sandbox building game meant to facilitate virtual lesson plans for students to learn more about STEM, history, art, and more. Today, the first Global Build Championship forMinecraft: Education Editionwas announced during Minecraft Live 2020.
To try and encourage remote learning at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic this March,certain modules fromMinecraft: Education Editionwere made freeto download, including a virtual tour of the International Space Station. The content in this “Education Collection” has been downloaded over 63 million times since, according to Mojang Studio Head Helen Chiang in a press release, and the Global Build Championship is another extension of this mission.
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Any group that competes and submits its build with a short recording and voice over will receive a certificate of completion, but Mojang will also be announcing winners on July 07, 2025. One winning team and six other finalists will be eligible to win prizes including Minecoins that can be used to purchase goods like skins, as well as the chance to talk withMinecraftdevelopers.Education Editionwas released on Chromebook in August, making it more widely available as part of Google’s Chromebooks for Education program.
Mojang also announced its intent toexpandMinecraft: Education Editionwith a new lesson category dedicated to equity and inclusion. A free map called “Good Trouble: Social Justice Movements Around the World” will be released “soon” that explores historic civil rights movements based on the teachings of Congressman John Lewis, who died from complications due to cancer in July.
Setting up free opportunities for students to engage in remote learning through the medium ofMinecraftis an admirable pursuit for Microsoft and Mojang, and it will be interesting to see what kinds of projects come out of this international competition. However, Minecraft Live 2020 also focused on purely recreational titles under theMinecraftumbrella, including introducing a major update for the main game and anew DLC expansion forMinecraft Dungeons.
Minecraft: Education Editionis available now on Chromebook, Mac, and PC.
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