Minecraft Legends release date and everything you need to know

Minecraft Legends is the next of the upcoming Xbox Series X games to launch in 2023, with Mojang Studios teaming up with Blackbird Interactive to deliver a compelling action-strategy spin-off set in the wider Minecraft universe. This multi-platform release looks utterly delightful, with its vibrant visual style and surprise twist on the familiar Minecraft fundamentals.

Rather than establish bases to survive the threats of the Overworld, you'll be working to unite them – teaming up the mobs to face an invading Piglin army. This Xbox Game Pass release looks set to deliver an experience which is easy to grasp for the casual strategy fan, albeit with a surprising amount of depth lurking beneath the surface for you genre diehards. Naturally, we don't have long to wait to try it for ourselves now, so get caught up on all things Minecraft Legends below.

Minecraft Legends release date

The Minecraft Legends release date is set for April 18, 2023. The launch date was revealed back in January, when Mojang appeared in an Xbox Developer Direct alongside fellow Xbox Game Studios members Arkane, Bethesda, and Turn 10 for fresh looks at Redfall, Elder Scrolls Online, and Forza Motorsport. It was here where Microsoft Gaming also gave us a first look at the game's PvP mode.

Minecraft Legends platforms

Although Microsoft owns Mojang, having acquired the developer and the Minecraft IP in 2014, the company remains committed to ensuring release parity for this universe. That means that Minecraft Legends will be launching on practically every platform there is: Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5 on April 18. Minecraft Legends will also be a part of the full Xbox Game Pass list from day one, meaning it'll be available to Xbox and PC Game Pass users as part of the subscription.

Minecraft Legends gameplay

Minecraft is known for being incredibly accessible, allowing players of all ages to get in there and start building, the same is true of Minecraft Dungeons, a co-op dungeon crawler that is really easy to jump into with friends and start exploring. Every indication from the video we've seen indicates that Minecraft Legends gameplay is going to follow a similar pattern, a game with a low bar for entry, extremely easy to pick up, but with a rich depth for those who want to delve deep.

We can expect Minecraft Legends to feature resource collection to allow you to create bigger and better defenses against the invading armies of the Nether. We will see exploration across a variety of biomes allowing you to gather unique and rare resources, as well as large-scale combat, directing your allies to push back the enemy.

Minecraft Legends gameplay preview

With the release of Minecraft Legends fast approaching, we were given the opportunity to get hands-on with the campaign and multiplayer. In our Minecraft Legends preview, we found that Mojang and Blackbird Interactive is building "a complex strategy game that shines in PvP", and were left particularly impressed by the depth of opportunity that the game offers. Be sure to click the link above to learn more from our time with Minecraft Legends.

Minecraft Legends story

The Minecraft Legends story will see us attempting to "Unite The Overworld." The events are neither fact nor fiction, but rather a legend passed down through generations – where a great hero brought the Overworld together to fight off an invading Piglin army. You'll be working with armies of mobs, from Creepers to Zombies, to push the Piglins back into the Nether. There's a full story campaign offering in Minecraft Legends, as well as the option for more cooperative and competitive multiplayer opportunities with friends too.

Is Minecraft Legends Multiplayer?

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Here's why I can't wait to kick your ass in Minecraft Legends PvP

Minecraft Legends will launch with a distinct PvP mode, separate from its campaign. With support for up to eight players (split into two teams) your objective is to capture and destroy your enemy's base while establishing defenses of your own. There's also a third team to worry about, with an AI controlled Piglin faction present on each of the procedurally generated maps to create a little chaos for both sides.

What's interesting here is that Mojang has still kept the collaborative spirit of Minecraft alive and well in this Minecraft Legends multiplayer mode. Each side's army and resources are shared among the members of a team, something which should allow for players to specialize – resource gathering, building, fighting, and so on – without having to worry about the bigger picture in minute detail. Blackbird and Mojang has designed the multiplayer to be in-depth and fast-paced, with games said to last between 20 and 30 minutes.

There's also a more traditional online co-op mode in Minecraft Legends, which will allow up to four friends to join together in drop-in, drop-out multiplayer sessions to build structures, build armies, and generally mess around in the Overworld.

Does Minecraft Legends have crossplay support?

There will be Minecraft Legends crossplay support from day one, which will allow players across Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch all play together. This will ensure that you're able to enjoy the Minecraft Legends PvP offering with friends regardless of what platform they are on, and join up with others for sessions of four-player online co-op.

Minecraft Legends development

Minecraft developer Mojang isn't shy about getting in some outside expertise to help out with games that deviate from the massive open sandbox original game. For 2020's Minecraft Dungeons, British developer Double Eleven was brought on board to help create the vibrant dungeon crawler spin-off.

In order to make an action strategy game, Mojang has partnered with Blackbird Interactive – the studio behind Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak and Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Blackbird appears to be a perfect fit, and the team has experience collaborating with Mojang as well, having been involved with the now shelved Minecraft Earth AR game. In an Extended Showcase look at Minecraft Legends, executive producer Dennis Ries said that, Initially, the partnership with Blackbird Interactive was known internally as Project Badger, and looking back at footage of Minecon 2018 you can see Mojang lead developer Jens Bergensten wearing a t-shirt with a Badger design. That's quite the niche easter egg, but we love it anyway.

Minecraft Legends is one of the big new games of 2023. While you wait, why don't you jump into one of the best Xbox Series X games or best PS5 games.