Minecraft made a big splash when its alpha version first appeared back in 2009. Since then, it has continued to define Mojang’s legacy for over 10 years. They have made some minor forays into other genres with games like Scrolls (now Caller’s Bane) and Crown and Council, but they’ve yet to deviate too far from their winning formula. That trend was reinforced again today at Microsoft’s E3 press conference with the announcement of Minecraft Dungeons. Slated for a release in spring of 2020, this appears to be a dungeon crawler set in the Minecraft universe which allows for 4 player local or online co-op. Though it was announced during the Microsoft Stream, it will release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. While the game’s aesthetic is certainly Minecraft all the way to its core, the trailer showcased at E3 did highlight some interesting differences. For one, enemies appear to attack players in larger swarms. Players also appear to have new offensive abilities not present in Minecraft, like the ability to shoot beams of energy. There’s also a completely unique menu interface for decking out your character with weapons and armor. Have a look at the announcement trailer below and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

They say “don’t fix what isn’t broken” and Minecraft as a brand is certainly a testament to that. Minecraft Dungeons looks to take the award-winning formula of its predecessor and expand upon it to transition to another genre, one aimed to entice players both old and new. For more information on Minecraft Dungeons, take a trip to the official website. Also, keep your eye’s peeled for the remainder of E3 as we are bound to hear more as time goes on.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

SOURCE: Press Release