Minecraft is a popular sandbox game developed by Swedish developer Markus Alexej Persson. In 2014, Microsoft purchased this game at a higher price.
This video game has elements of RollerCoaster Tycoon, Dungeon Keeper, Dwarf Fortress, and Infiniminer games. After the game was published on TIGSource forums, it gained huge popularity among players.
While playing Minecraft, you can build multiple designs with blocks in 3D voxel graphics. Players can even explore the landscape, battle mobs, and construct a shelter.
As of 2023, Minecraft is regarded as the most popular video game, with a worldwide reach. It has over 500,000 daily players.
Read on to know Minecraft Revenue and Usage Statistics.
Minecraft Key Statistics
The creativity and versatility of Minecraft make it so popular. You can play this game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and 4, Windows, iOS, Linux, and Android.
Here are some key statics of Minecraft:
- In 2021, Minecraft generated $380 million in revenue. $110 million accounted for mobile revenue.
- In 2020, the number of Minecraft users increased to over 130 million.
- The game has been sold in many formats over 200 times.
- The Chinese edition of Minecraft has been downloaded over 400 million times.
Minecraft Overview
- Launch Date: 17 May 2009
- Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
- People: Jonas Mårtensson, Jens Bergensten, Phil Spencer
- Business Type: Subsidiary
- Owner: Microsoft
- Industry: Video Games
Minecraft Revenue
The year 2014 is marked as the worst time for the Minecraft game because its revenue dropped by $165M in global annual revenue.
But a few years later, Minecraft generated $380 million.
Minecraft Annual Revenue 2012 to 2021 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
| 2012 | 211 |
| 2013 | 326 |
| 2014 | 165 |
| 2015 | 350 |
| 2016 | 420 |
| 2017 | 370 |
| 2018 | 500 |
| 2019 | 375 |
| 2020 | 415 |
| 2021 | 380 |
While Minecraft saw a growth in the number of active users, its revenue was far less consistent. But in 2018, the game peaked by finishing the year with $500 million.
For a brief amount of time in 2019, the sales of Minecraft dropped to $375 million, but it again increased to $415 million in 2020. In the same year, Minecraft’s unit sold more than 238 million copies worldwide.
From the time Microsoft purchased this video game, it has generated roughly $2.8 billion in sales revenue.
Minecraft Sales Distribution Statistics
Minecraft is available in physical and digital formats, which made it so popular. The game has a fresh feel and ensures that it adapts to new players.
Over the years, Minecraft has become one of the best-selling games. In less than a decade, the game has doubled its sales and increased the number of its active users.
It’s an impressive achievement because a typical video game has a shelf life of just 2 years.
Minecraft Copies Sold Worldwide from 2016 to 2021
| Year | Cumulative Copies Sold |
| 2016 | 100 million |
| 2017 | 122 million |
| 2018 | 144 million |
| 2019 | 176 million |
| 2020 | 200 million |
| 2021 | 238 million |
As you can see, the number of Minecraft copies sold each year has increased from 2016 to 2021. Each year around 23 million new copies were sold.
Minecraft Gender Statistics
Minecraft has more male players than female. The game is also quite popular among young players as it is well-rated for children 7 and above.
While 68% of boys between 6 to 8 years play Minecraft, only 32% of girls of the same age group play this game. Thus, Minecraft is attracting more males as its primary user.
Minecraft Mobile Revenue
Through the game’s mobile edition, Minecraft made $161 million in 2021, which is 42% of the total game’s revenue.
Minecraft Mobile Revenue 2012 to 2021 ($mm)
| Year | Revenue ($mm) |
| 2012 | 21 |
| 2013 | 33 |
| 2014 | 45 |
| 2015 | 55 |
| 2016 | 72 |
| 2017 | 77 |
| 2018 | 88 |
| 2019 | 111 |
| 2020 | 142 |
| 2021 | 161 |
Minecraft Users
In 2021, Minecraft had an estimated 93 million active users. The mobile version of Minecraft has only made this game more popular.
In 2011, Minecraft introduced a basic mobile version, but it was only after 2016 that the mobile version gained popularity. Ever since then, the monthly active users of the game have increased from 40 million to 141 million, showing a 250% growth rate.
The mobile version of Minecraft made the game easily available to everyone.
Minecraft Monthly Active Users (mm)
| Year | Monthly Active Users |
| 2016 | 40 |
| 2017 | 55 |
| 2018 | 75 |
| 2019 | 91 |
| 2020 | 131 |
| 2021 | 93 |
Minecraft: Pocket Edition Sales
After its launch, Minecraft: Pocket Edition has sold more than 130 million copies.
Minecraft: Pocket Edition Sales 2012 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Sales (mm) |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 14 |
| 2014 | 21 |
| 2015 | 30 |
| 2016 | 50 |
| 2017 | 63 |
| 2018 | 93 |
| 2019 | 105 |
| 2020 | 113 |
| 2021 | 133 |
Minecraft Chinese Edition Downloads
After Minecraft started its Chinese edition with NetEase, it had been downloaded 425 million times by July 2021.
Minecraft Chinese Edition Downloads 2017 to 2021 (mm)
| Year | Downloads (mm) |
| 2017 | 75 |
| 2018 | 150 |
| 2019 | 300 |
| 2020 | 400 |
| 2021 | 425 |
Minecraft FAQ
Ques 1: How much revenue has Minecraft made?
Ans: After its launch, Minecraft generated nearly $3 billion in sales.
Ques 2: How much did Microsoft pay for Minecraft?
Ans: Microsoft acquired Minecraft in 2014 by paying roughly 20 times more than the company’s earnings.
Ques 3: How many users play Minecraft through their phones?
Ans: Around 30% of the total Minecraft players use mobile phones to play the game.
Ques 4: Where is Minecraft: Pocket Edition super popular?
Ans: Minecraft: Pocket Edition is the most popular in North and South America.
Ques 5: How much revenue has Minecraft made?
Ans: Minecraft has made a total revenue of $1 million in just two months.
Ques 6: How many times has Minecraft been downloaded?
Ans: In its first 12 months, Minecraft has exceeded 2.5 million downloads.
