History of the Minecraft Logo

Minecraft is an indie game developer’s dream. It started on a developers forum as a side project. By May 2020, nearly 126 million people worldwide reported playing Minecraft monthly.

The game itself is a sandbox design, featuring an infinite world. Each time you start a game, you receive a randomized start, meaning you get a new experience every time. You can build towns, explore mines, and fight monsters.

Because of the infinite options and multiple difficulty levels, the game is appropriate for a wide variety of people, from experienced gamers to kids. While many enjoy the game solo, it’s also possible to play with your friends by creating a private realm on an online platform.

For the first few days of its release in May 2009, Minecraft had a different name. Five days after coming online, the team renamed “Cave Game” to Minecraft. Its original logo corresponded with the original name, so the team had to design a new one to match the new name.

Markus Persson, the developer of Minecraft and creator of the now-famous gaming company Mojang, asked illustrator, Hayden Scott-Baron, to design the new logo. Scott-Baron’s logo used a bolded sans-serif font for the name where the letters appeared to jump. The color scheme of green and bright blue represented the land and the sky.

However, Persson didn’t like Scott-Baron’s colorful design and vetoed it, meaning this prototype Minecraft logo was never released. The logo that Persson approved took inspiration from the in-game play, using the same grey shade and design as the cobblestones in the game.

The original logo spells out the name of the game, “Minecraft,” with separate, uneven, block letters lined with paving stones. A horizontal black shadow makes the name appear as if the logo hangs in space, giving it a 3D look that corresponds to the 3D aspect of the game.

By 2011, Minecraft had soared in popularity. The previous editions released were smaller versions, with regularly released updates. However, in 2011, Persson created the company Mojang and released the first full version of Minecraft. To go with its new release, Minecraft got a new logo.

This new logo keeps the same basic style and shape, with thicker, less uneven letters and no shadow. Instead of the paving stones, the letters appear to be carved from the cobblestone building material available in the game, with cracks placed artistically around the letters.

The designers also enhanced the 3D effect, using dark black to line the letters.

In a nod to the most popular monster in the game, the creeper, the hole in the “A” was designed to replicate its face.

When the game was released for the Xbox 360™ in 2012, the logo underwent subtle changes, with a more pixelated look. The designers rounded the edges and used a bolder black but left the rest of the design the same.

Originally, this logo only appeared on the Xbox version of the game. However, after Microsoft® purchased Minecraft in 2015, the new design was used everywhere.

In the gaming industry, design matters. The current Minecraft logo works because it uses the game’s iconic building blocks, meaning that gamers instantly understand the game’s vibe just from looking at the logo.

The addition of Creeper into the logo is also ingenious. It gives longtime fans something to spot, like an Easter egg, but also intrigues newcomers.

Although the letters are stylized, they are easy to read. Video game platforms, like SteamⓇ, have thousands of games from every genre, and it’s essential that your logo is easy to read, recognizable, and shows your game’s personality. The current Minecraft logo easily accomplishes all these tasks.

Whether you want to develop top-rated video games or you have an idea for a new mobile game company, TRUiC can help you get started. Use the guides on our website to learn how to start a business, how to name your business, and how to design a great logo.