Microsoft bought Minecraft in 2014 from Marcus “Notch” Persson for $2.5 billion, but it has no plans to invite the creator to participate in the game's 10-year anniversary festivities.
A spokesperson for Microsoft told Variety, “His comments and opinions do not reflect those of Microsoft or Mojang and are not representative of Minecraft."
Persson, once an involved member of the video game development community, has increasingly ostracized himself with his Twitter comments, including transphobic statements and comments about a “heterosexual pride day,” and that “it’s ok to be white.”
Persson has about 3.7 million followers on Twitter. An update to the game last month removed loading screen text on Minecraft that referenced Persson. Microsoft didn’t comment about the decision to remove the reference last month.
Notch, who purchased a swell bachelor pad in Los Angeles for $70 million after Micrsoft cut him a check, no longer works on Minecraft, but keeps himself busy posting on Twitter.
What a fucking cunt
— notch (@notch) June 12, 2017
And you're a cunt.
— notch (@notch) June 29, 2017
Celebrating fucking body dysphoria.
— notch (@notch) March 10, 2019
High-IQ individuals are over-represented in positions of power, for benign reasons.
Some populations have higher IQ on average, for benign reasons.Not being allowed to discuss this makes people distrust and come up with explanations like nepotism.
— notch (@notch) December 6, 2018
(protip: believing in race based privilege needing to be checked fits the literal definition of racism)
— notch (@notch) November 30, 2017
It's ok to be white.
— notch (@notch) November 30, 2017
(Above two tweets were deleted)
Images: Notch (by Official GDC – 16-20_42_56-01-7D2_0739, CC BY 2.0, Link) / Creeper costume (Amazon)