Over the past year the fervour and hype surrounding non-fungible tokens has seen a myriad industries try to get in on the NFT action. One company that will not be doing so is Mojang, the developer behind Minecraft, which recently posted a statement on its position regarding NFTs.

To that end, Mojang wants to keep its game as equal as possible for all of its players. The developer uses its guidelines around access to servers as an example.

“In our Minecraft Usage Guidelines, we outline how a server owner can charge for access, and that all players should have access to the same functionality. We have these rules to ensure that Minecraft remains a community where everyone has access to the same content,” explains Mojang.

“NFTs, however, can create models of scarcity and exclusion that conflict with our Guidelines and the spirit of Minecraft,” it adds.

As such, the company will not be going the way of Sky Mavis and its Axie Infinity title, which utilises a combination of NFTs and blockchain in order to function. The fact that the latter element was recently exploited, also adds weight to Mojang’s position.

Ultimately though it boils down to ownership, which the developer says runs contrary to its views on the world of Minecraft.

“Some companies have recently launched NFT implementations that are associated with Minecraft world files and skin packs…Each of these uses of NFTs and other blockchain technologies creates digital ownership based on scarcity and exclusion, which does not align with Minecraft values of creative inclusion and playing together,” the developer highlighted.

“To ensure that Minecraft players have a safe and inclusive experience, 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,” it clarified.

While we commend Mojang for taking this position, it still remains to be seen if the company could change its mind down the line.

“We will also be paying close attention to how blockchain technology evolves over time to ensure that the above principles are withheld and determine whether it will allow for more secure experiences or other practical and inclusive applications in gaming. However, we have no plans of implementing blockchain technology into Minecraft right now,” the statement concluded.

Hopefully it sticks with its current position regarding NFTs in gaming.