Update Chronicle ① From Cave Game to 1.0 — How Minecraft Started (2009~2011)

Today, Minecraft has three dimensions, and soon it will have four. There are dozens of mobs, and game drops happen several times a year. But the first version of this game was just placing and breaking a few blocks of stone and dirt.

MCNOW's original "Update Chronicle" follows how Minecraft became what it is today over four parts. Episode 1 covers the years 2009 to 2011, from a hobby project by one person to the official release 1.0.

May 2009 — The Beginning of 'Cave Game'

Swedish developer Markus Persson, known as Notch, created games in his spare time while working at a company. In May 2009, he uploaded a short video and a test version showcasing a blocky world to the indie game developer community. It was initially called 'Cave Game' and soon got the name Minecraft.

This first version is what we now refer to as Classic. It ran in a web browser, and all you could do was place and break blocks. There was no survival, no mobs, and no crafting. Yet, people built houses and castles in this simple world and showed them off to each other. This is why Minecraft was first known as a 'building game'.

Indev and Infdev — The End of the World Disappears

From late 2009 to early 2010, Minecraft quickly evolved. After testing survival and crafting in a fixed-size island in Indev, the most significant change occurred in early 2010 with Infdev. The world became infinite.

An endless world where new land appears as you walk. This feature, which we take for granted today, transformed Minecraft from a 'building tool' into an 'adventurous world.' The sense of not knowing what lies beyond the horizon remains one of the game's biggest attractions.

2010 — Alpha and the Nether

In the summer of 2010, Minecraft entered the Alpha phase. Survival mode became established, and multiplayer servers emerged, turning the game from a solo experience into one you could enjoy with friends. Notch quit his job that same year to focus on game development, and the company that created the game, Mojang(Mojang), was founded.

On October 31 of that year, the first alternate dimension, the Nether, was introduced with the 'Halloween Update.' A purple portal opens when you frame it with obsidian and light it, leading to a sea of lava and ghasts. It was the moment when there was somewhere to go other than the Overworld. The news about the new dimension 'The Shift' that MCNOW is covering feels significant because we know how long it took to add another dimension after that.

It may look rough now, but the design and method of opening the Nether portal have hardly changed since 2010. It's one of the longest-lasting 'rules' in Minecraft.

December 2010 to 2011 — Beta, the Framework of Adventure Takes Shape

On December 20, 2010, Minecraft entered Beta. During the beta period, elements like beds, pistons, maps, and taming wolves were gradually added. By the beta 1.8 'Adventure Update' in September 2011, the foundation of today's survival mode was completed.

• Hunger — You need to eat food to restore health. 'Living' was introduced to survival.
• Villages and Fortresses — Structures to explore and signs of human habitation appeared in the world.
• Endermen — One of the most famous mobs that attack when you make eye contact.
• Creative Mode — The 'build freely' concept from Classic returned as an official mode.

November 18, 2011 — 1.0, Reaching the End

그리고 2011년 11월 18일, 미국 라스베이거스에서 열린 첫 공식 행사 마인콘(MineCon)에서 마인크래프트는 정식 버전 1.0이 됐다.

1.0 provided an 'end.' Beyond the End portal deep in a fortress lies the third dimension the End, where the Ender Dragon awaits. Defeating the dragon triggers the end credits. For the first time, a game that had no set goals had an 'ending.' In the same version, enchanting and brewing were also introduced, adding growth elements that made players stronger the longer they played.

Right after 1.0 was released, Notch handed over development responsibilities to Jens Bergensten, known as Jeb. Jeb is the one who announced the fourth dimension at Minecraft Live in September 2026, saying, "Cross off the End on your bingo card." He has been shaping the direction of this game for nearly 15 years.

Summary — What Was Created in Two and a Half Years

A world that started with a few blocks became a game with three dimensions and an ending in just two and a half years. In the next issue, we'll follow Minecraft's development of 'adventure grammar' from 2012 to 2014 after 1.0, along with the era of redstone, horses, and the Wither.