Minecraft will need a Microsoft Account in 2021

Facebook scored bad press for making a Facebook account mandatory for its VR headsets and now Microsoft is pulling a similar move by forcing Minecraft players to use a Microsoft Account. Starting in 2021, players of the classic version will be forced to migrate to a Microsoft Account. The Verge warns that usernames for Java Edition players are at risk, if someone is already using your name or if it doesn't meet Microsoft's standards.

The game has existed in two separately developed versions since its 2011 launch on consoles. Previously, the original Minecraft: Java Edition used Mojang accounts, while Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, the name for the console and Windows store version of the game, used Microsoft accounts. After this change, the accounts will be the same, but there’s still no crossplay: you still won’t be able to play with friends using the other version of the game.