Minecraft sales have officially surpassed 200 million and 126 million players are playing the game each month. Microsoft is detailing the latest figures on sales as Mojang Studios celebrates 11 years since the first Minecraft alpha build was released. Microsoft has also seen a big increase in Minecraft usage during the pandemic. Minecraft has seen a 25% increase in users and a 40% spike in multiplayer sessions last month. In 2016, Minecraft sales exceeded 100 million, and the game has not decreased in popularity. Just another wordpress site Minecraft was the most popular game on YouTube's viewership statistics in 2017 thanks to nostalgic playing and a surge in YouTubers' interest. Microsoft acquired Minecraft maker Mojang about six years ago for $2.5 billion, and at the time, the company had sold more than 50 million copies across PC, Xbox 360, PS3 and other platforms. email email Microsoft made a smart acquisition. The game's astounding growth in sales and the game's momentum have kept players coming back for decades. Minecraft was initially conceived as a home-based project. It was initially made available as an Java applet on an online forum. The game quickly captured the imagination of thousands of gamers who adored the concept of allowing players to create the environment by crafting and building constructions out of blocks. It has spawned a giant community of people who make replicas of objects and YouTube tutorials on how to play Minecraft that are regularly shared with millions of players.