If one were to look back at gaming in the past decade, perhaps one of the most impactful games with the biggest amount of growth has been Minecraft. The game started out as a fledgling independent title that allowed players to access it in its unfinished form, well before programs like Steam Greenlight became ubiquitous for the practice. The game eventually was sold to Microsoft, making its creator Notch a billionaire in the process.

While Minecraft became a massive part of Microsoft’s brand and merchandising efforts, Notch himself continued to use his notoriety as a means of engaging in political discourse online, to the chagrin of some. Well, it appears that this activity has been deemed controversial by Microsoft, as all references to controversial creator Notch have been removed with the newest Minecraft update. 

A small update for Minecraft: Console Editions will be rolling out over the next few days to make some changes to splash text.

— 4J Studios (@4JStudios) March 19, 2019

Earlier this month, the official Twitter account for 4J Studios, the developer behind several of the Minecraft console ports, made mention of a new update that would make some changes to the splash text in the game’s main menus. While the Tweet or update notes have not mentioned which specific phrases were omitted, many have begun to notice that phrases referencing Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson are no longer present. This includes phrases like “Made By Notch” and “The Work of Notch!”

Notch has been notorious on Twitter the past few years for his outspoken tweets regarding political issues, such as nationalism, racism, and LGBT equality. Many have accused Notch of falling into the far right, or even alt-right category, which it would seem worthy of Microsoft’s decision to distance themselves from the creator. With the $2.5 billion sale of Minecraft to Microsoft back in 2014, it’s probably safe to think that Notch agreed to his name eventually being taken down from the game, but one can imagine him not wanting it to be this soon. But sometimes, the creepers have to explode in unfortunate and damaging ways.

What do you guys think about references to creator Notch being removed with the latest Minecraft update? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Minecraft news, such as the heartfelt in-game tribute to a Minecraft player who passed away due to cancer, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!