Many popular games from Xbox Studios are already on Steam, including many games Halo . However, one major exception is Minecraftwhich regularly ranks among the most played titles. After an insider leaked that “blockbuster first-party Xbox experiences” will soon be coming to Valve’s Marketplace, Minecraft is one of the possibilities.
What is the probability of an exit from Minecraft on Steam?
In a recent Windows Central article ( ) Jez Corden explains that these experiences will appear on Steam in the “coming months”. Mojang Studios’ open-world building game isn’t the only candidate, but that’s a common guess on Reddit and from a writer at TheGamer. This is not the first time that we have reason to believe that a Steam version of Minecraft is in preparation.
In 2024, a description of a benefit Minecraft Bedrock Edition on Game Pass mentioned Steam. In another case, an individual created a fraudulent listing on Valve’s site for the game. Unfortunately for Steam users, the game still requires the use of a separate launcher.
Microsoft acquired Mojang in 2014, adding the developer to its collection of studios. The company maintained Minecraft on PlayStation consoles rather than making it an Xbox-exclusive game. Nevertheless, it has yet to debut in the world’s most popular PC gaming market.
Minecraft thrived even without Valve
The prevailing theory for excluding Valve centers on revenue sharing. Microsoft is expected to donate 30% of all revenue to the rival storefront. Since the sandbox game is already widely recognized, there is less urgency to expand its player base. On the other hand, the publisher cannot help but release upcoming titles like Forza Horizon 6 and the game Fable on Steam.
Even accounting for the financial downsides, Xbox focused more on PC gaming. With console sales strugglingconsole sales declining, the company is no longer as committed to bringing the Series X|S to market. Furthermore, a future gaming system currently under development with AMD will likely be based on Windows.
As Corden notes in his report, many gamers are still hesitant to adopt the Xbox PC app. Microsoft added the ability to launch Steam gamesMicrosoft added the ability to launch Steam games, but it’s often frustrating to find titles that aren’t part of Game Pass. Given Valve’s continued dominance, it is perhaps inevitable that Minecraft can be found in the store.
