Mojang Studios: the creators of Minecraft
Mojang Studios is the Swedish game studio that created Minecraft, one of the best-selling games of all time. According to Xbox, it has sold more than 425 million copies (as of September 2026). The studio has been owned by Microsoft since 2014.
Early days: Notch and the birth of Minecraft
The story of Mojang starts with Markus "Notch" Persson, a Swedish programmer who released the first version of a game called "Cave Game" in May 2009. He drew inspiration from Infiniminer, Dwarf Fortress and Dungeon Keeper. The game soon got the name Minecraft.
Notch developed Minecraft as a side project while holding a full-time job. Early versions were available on minecraft.net for a small fee. Within a few months the game spread fast online, helped by YouTube, Reddit and gaming forums.
By 2010 the game had outgrown what one person could handle, and Notch needed a company to run it.
Founding Mojang AB (2010)
Mojang AB was officially registered in Stockholm in September 2010. The people behind it at the start:
- Markus "Notch" Persson: creator of Minecraft, lead programmer
- Jakob Porsér: a friend of Notch, co-founder and producer of the game Scrolls
- Carl Manneh: CEO, in charge of the business side
The company grew quickly and hired more developers, among them Jens "Jeb" Bergensten, who joined in 2010 and gradually took over from Notch as Minecraft's lead developer.
On November 18, 2011, Minecraft was officially released (version 1.0) at the MineCon convention in Las Vegas. By then the game had sold more than 4 million copies, even though it was still officially in "beta".
The Microsoft acquisition (2014)
On September 15, 2014, Microsoft announced it would buy Mojang for $2.5 billion. The deal closed on November 6, 2014.
Notch explained the sale on his blog: he wrote that he couldn't handle the pressure of being the face of a global phenomenon. The sale gave him some peace (and more than a billion dollars).
After the acquisition:
- Notch, Carl Manneh and Jakob Porsér left Mojang
- Jeb stayed on as Minecraft's lead developer
- Mojang kept a lot of autonomy, with its own office in Stockholm and its own team
- Minecraft did not become an Xbox exclusive: it still comes out on PlayStation, Switch and other platforms
- The studio was renamed Mojang Studios in 2020 (new logo and branding)
The acquisition turned out to be a very good deal for Microsoft. According to Xbox, which gave the figure on the day of Minecraft Live on September 26, 2026, Minecraft has sold more than 425 million copies, and the brand brings in billions of dollars from the Marketplace, Realms, licensing and merchandise.
Mojang Studios games
Besides Minecraft, Mojang has tried other projects, with mixed results:
- Minecraft (2011 to now): the flagship title, more than 425 million copies sold according to Xbox (September 2026). Still actively developed
- Scrolls / Caller's Bane (2014-2018): a strategy card game. It never became very popular. The servers shut down in 2018 and the source code was made public
- Cobalt (2016): an action platformer made with Oxeye Game Studio. A niche title
- Minecraft Earth (2019-2021): an AR (augmented reality) game in the style of Pokémon Go. Shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Minecraft Dungeons (2020-2023): a dungeon crawler. A solid game with 6 DLC packs; development has ended. More about Minecraft Dungeons
- Minecraft Dungeons II (2026): the Dungeons sequel that Mojang Studios made together with Double Eleven. It launched on September 29, 2026 and, instead of separate missions, has a connected world and a new dimension called the Sift. Minecraft Dungeons II guide and more about the launch
- Minecraft Legends (2023-2024): an action/RTS strategy game. Mixed reviews, and development ended after a year. More about Minecraft Legends
So far Minecraft's spin-offs have had limited lifespans, and only Minecraft itself has had lasting success. Minecraft Dungeons II will show whether that pattern changes.
Key people
- Markus "Notch" Persson: creator of Minecraft and co-founder of Mojang. Left in 2014 after the sale
- Jens "Jeb" Bergensten: joined in 2010 and became Minecraft's lead developer after Notch stepped back
- Agnes Larsson: Game Director of Minecraft (as of October 2026). Manages the direction of the game and communication with the community
- Carl Manneh: Mojang's first CEO. Left after the Microsoft acquisition
- Jakob Porsér: co-founder and creator of Scrolls. Left after the sale to Microsoft
Who leads Mojang (2026)
On October 8, 2026, Xbox announced leadership changes at Mojang. Kayleen Walters, until now the head of Mojang Studios, becomes president of XP, a new Xbox division that develops Xbox brands beyond games. From October 19, 2026, the CEO of Mojang and Minecraft is Maria Angelidou-Smith. Both report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma (TheWrap, PocketGamer.biz).
The name XP is a nod to experience points. According to an internal memo from the head of Xbox, the division covers four areas:
- Xbox Pictures: film and TV adaptations
- Xbox Products: licensing and merchandise
- Xbox Partnerships: sponsors and brand partnerships
- Xbox Places: flagship broadcasts and live events, theme parks and other location-based attractions
Who the two executives are:
- Kayleen Walters: at Mojang she grew Minecraft's consumer products into a business worth billions of dollars, with more than 250 licensees (PocketGamer.biz). She was an executive producer of the 2025 film A Minecraft Movie and is producing the sequel, A Minecraft Movie Squared. Before that she spent 13 years at Lucasfilm, working on Star Wars films, products and partnerships
- Maria Angelidou-Smith: at Meta she led Facebook Groups (more than 1.8 billion monthly users, according to PocketGamer.biz). She later led product and technology at Personio and was chief product officer (CPO) at Reddit
Sources: TheWrap, October 8, 2026 and PocketGamer.biz, October 9, 2026.
Moving Mojang accounts to Microsoft
One of the most controversial moves in Minecraft's history. In 2020, Mojang announced that all Mojang accounts had to be moved to Microsoft accounts.
Timeline:
- 2020: the migration is announced
- 2021: voluntary migration begins (with a reward: the Migrator cape)
- 2023: the Mojang account system is shut down for good
What the migration changed:
- Security: Microsoft accounts have two-step verification (2FA), which makes account theft harder
- One account: a single Microsoft account for Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, Xbox and all other services
- Controversy: some players lost access to their accounts (for example, because they no longer had access to the old email address). Microsoft offered support, but the process was messy
Mojang today
In 2026, Mojang Studios is a studio focused on Minecraft. Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Earth and Minecraft Legends are no longer in development, and Minecraft Dungeons II launched on September 29, 2026. The team has several hundred people, with offices including Stockholm and Redmond (USA).
What's in development now:
- Minecraft Java + Bedrock: regular updates plus weekly snapshots
- Minecraft film: the live-action A Minecraft Movie, directed by Jared Hess, came out in 2025. The sequel, A Minecraft Movie Squared, is due in US theaters on July 23, 2027
- Marketplace: a growing ecosystem of paid content in Bedrock
- Education: Minecraft Education is used in thousands of schools around the world
Mojang is focused on Minecraft and on Minecraft Dungeons II. The two games are linked by the Sift dimension, which is due to come to Minecraft in 2027 on Java and Bedrock as well.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Mojang?
Mojang AB was founded in 2010 by Markus 'Notch' Persson and Jakob Porsér. Notch had earlier created Minecraft himself as a side project, and Mojang was set up to officially develop and publish the game.
How much did Microsoft pay for Mojang?
Microsoft announced the purchase of Mojang in September 2014 for $2.5 billion. At the time it was one of the biggest deals in the games industry. Notch, Carl Manneh and Jakob Porsér sold their shares and left the company.
Does Notch still work at Mojang?
No. Markus 'Notch' Persson left Mojang after the sale to Microsoft in 2014 and has not been involved in developing Minecraft since. The Mojang Studios team works on Minecraft, and the direction of the game is set by Agnes Larsson, Minecraft's Game Director (as of October 2026).
Who runs Mojang?
Since October 19, 2026, the CEO of Mojang and Minecraft is Maria Angelidou-Smith, who previously held senior product roles at Meta, Personio and Reddit. She replaced Kayleen Walters, who became president of XP, Xbox's new division for film, licensing, brand partnerships and events. Both report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.
What games has Mojang made?
Mojang has made: Minecraft (2011), Scrolls/Caller's Bane (2014, shut down in 2018), Cobalt (2016, with Oxeye Game Studio), Minecraft Dungeons (2020), Minecraft Earth (2019, shut down in 2021), Minecraft Legends (2023, development ended in 2024) and Minecraft Dungeons II (2026, with Double Eleven).
What was the migration of Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts?
In 2020, Mojang announced it would move accounts from the Mojang system to Microsoft accounts. Since 2023, old Mojang accounts no longer work and you have to sign in with a Microsoft account. The migration was free and mandatory. Microsoft accounts have two-step verification (2FA), which makes them more secure.