Today Microsoft posted out a blog detailing a hard stance against blockchain integration and the usage of NFTs in Minecraft. You can view the post here, but the below quote encapsulates their attitude well.
blockchain technologies are not permitted to be integrated inside our Minecraft client and server applications nor may they be utilized to create NFTs associated with any in-game content, including worlds, skins, persona items, or other mods.
Naturally, I am extremely disappointed in Microsoft’s decision. Unfortunately their language is very strong and I am not in a position to contest their determination. It is their game after all and although I have strived to make sure ZerpCraft was in compliance with their EULA from the start, they have the ability to change the EULA at any time. Outside of cancelling my Game Pass subscription, I don’t have much of a way to protest. Microsoft does have a feedback submission site that you can post to you if feel willing. I’d ask that you keep your submissions respectful.
So first order of business is to update everyone on the state of the project in light of this new guidance. Put simply, there is no avenue for me to fulfill the core promises of the ZerpCraft whitepaper and still be in compliance with Microsoft’s EULA. Distressingly, they have not only outlawed NFTs, but “blockchain technologies” holistically. This takes away any avenue I might have had to pivot to a “Minecraft Payment Engine” or some other cool XRPL integration. As far as I can see things currently, this is a death blow to ZerpCraft in its current form. Although I want to find a way to continue, I am not interested in trying to find a loophole or way to stay under the radar in order to keep the project going. If Microsoft wants to be hostile to blockchain projects, I am not willing to put myself at risk legally or tarnish my integrity by breaking their rules.
If you’ll allow me a paragraph to be emotional, I’m definitely feeling the gut punch right now. I’ve worked on ZerpCraft for two years. First as the Minecraft XRP Tipper and then as ZerpCraft once I received the grant from Ripple. I’ve been working nights and weekends on this project while working a full time and I’m really proud of what has been created. My implementation of the XLS-20 code was nearing completion. We were planning to announce today the first member of the “ZerpCraft Network” which would be a Survival server setup to complement the existing Creative server. All in all I suppose this is what it feels like to be de-platformed.
So I’ve talked with my build team at Elite Realism and some of the ZerpCraft Partners. The same questions have popped up a few times, so here is my take on where things go from here.
Q: Is the ZerpCraft server shutting down?
A: No. The server itself will not be shut down for the foreseeable future. I will be turning off the ZerpCraft plugin so the server is no longer blockchain enabled. Players will still have access to their land. New land purchases will be turned off to be in compliance with this new guidance. If you’re signed up for the Pixel Shroomboat games, the server will still be available for that provided that the xShrooms and PARC event hosts are still planning on having the event. I haven’t talked with them yet, but I’m assuming the event will still happen.
Q: So….no NFTs?
A: Correct, unless Microsoft does a 180 degree pivot off their decision, I don’t see a way that I can mint NFTs on XLS-20 to represent ownership of Minecraft land. I will be stopping development on the ZerpCraft plugin until there is a clear legal avenue for me to continue the project in a way that is worth my time.
Q: Microsoft’s article only references mods, not plugins. Isn’t ZerpCraft a plugin?
A: Yes, ZerpCraft is a plugin. Those of you who have been around the Minecraft ecosystem long enough may be wondering if this is a loophole. Generally within the community “mods” are changes to the client side and “plugins” are changes to the server. However Microsoft lumps both of these categories together and just refers to them as “mods”. I can pull up examples of this, but suffice it to say the fact that they explicitly call out “client” and “server” in their blogpost means they are not leaving an avenue available for plugins.
Q: Can I get a refund?
A: Short answer, I’m not sure yet. I’ve poured a substantial amount of money into building out ZerpCraft. Paying Elite Realism for the building services, server administration, hosting costs, etc. On top of that, I’ve compensated myself for my own personal development efforts and much of that money is spent. Luckily, I am not Celsius either. ZerpCraft does have a business “war chest” as well as a fund to make sure I have enough money set aside for taxes. I need to meet with my CPA and understand the complexities of all this before I can commit to any sort of refunds.
Q: How could Microsoft do this?
A: I’m unsure why they have come to this abrupt decision. I personally did a lot of market research into Minecraft and blockchain before starting the project. I was confident that Microsoft was generally blockchain friendly and as long as I stayed inside the guidance of their existing EULA, I was safe. Some projects such as Enjincraft have been around for years without issue. I used those much larger and widespread projects as an indicator that this sort of abrupt 180 wouldn’t happen.
I suspect that what we’re experiencing is very similar to the market crash in 2017. Some of you may not have been around, but there were lots of headlines in 2017 and 2018 about companies banning, restricting, and removing blockchain products from their platforms. This only happened once the market crashed. I didn’t think ZerpCraft would be that kind of casualty, but I suspect the execs at Mojang have been looking for an excuse and the market downturn provided good timing for them.
Q: What will Ripple say?
A: This news is so fresh that I haven’t gotten the chance to speak with Ripple yet. Ripple specifically asked me to launch on a different NFT standard before XLS-20 was live (which I did on XLS-19) and that an element of the project be open source. To fulfill the second requirement. I will make sure to publish the XLS-20 branch of the ZerpCraft plugin publicly so I can say I have faithfully fulfilled everything I set out to do with the original grant. Maybe another Java developer can use my code to help them understand how to integrate with XUMM, XLS-20 and the XRPL for a different application. That would be a positive legacy for this project.
Q: Is there any way ZerpCraft can pivot to something else?????
A: I want to turn lemons into lemonade as much as anyone here. I will be thinking through ways that I can take what I’ve learned to pivot into something that can benefit the XRPL community. But integration with Minecraft seems to be a dead end right now. I am actually more bullish on the XRPL after 2 years of developing on the platform. The technology is incredibly powerful and very simple to integrate with. Time will tell what I may be able to salvage from the ashes, but for right now I need to take some time to dust myself off and come to terms with losing all this work.
To conclude. I want to make it clear that I’m not ghosting the community. I’m deeply appreciative of all the support that has developed around the ZerpCraft project. I’ve developed a strong rapport with many other NFT projects in this space as well as a great professional relationship with the Elite Realism team. You have no idea how proud it’s made me to setup a platform where professional builders have been able to monetize their skills and I’ve loved seeing the ZerpCraft server grow and change over time. I’ll try and get the more substantial updates posted here as blogposts over time, but I’m most active in the ZerpCraft discord which you can find at zerpcraft.chat.