Mojang celebrates Minecraft's 11th birthday with a new logo and slight name change

(Image credit: Mojang Studios)

In celebration of Minecraft's 11th anniversary, Mojang has changed its name to Mojang Studios and unveiled a new logo. 

The decision for the slight name change and logo refresh has been detailed in a recent article from the studio's creative communication's head Thomas Wiborgh on Minecraft's official website:  

"But why would we need a new name and logo in the first place? Well, why not? Humans like to reinvent themselves from time to time, so it's only right that we extend the same courtesy to a company that's been around for over a decade. I mean, would you still wear the outfit that perfectly designed your style in 2009?" 

(Image credit: Mojang Studios)

Of course, the change isn't just to give the studio a new lick of paint. The post also points to just how much Mojang Studios has grown since it started over a decade ago: "From our humble beginnings in Stockholm, we are entering the 20's as a multi-title, multi-location company… There are also several studios around the world, all part of Mojang. Which, in a stroke of genius, inspired our new name". 

Mojang Studios has also released a trailer showing off the new logo. Most interesting of all, both the article and trailer reveal some of the future projects the studio is working on, with plans for a feature film and an "epic live show", as well as "playing with ideas for brand new games." 

Mojang Studios' latest upcoming release Minecraft Dungeons is due to launch later this month on May 26 after it was delayed. It's exciting to see the studio is playing around with new game ideas, and the new logo teases that the studio is setting out to explore "new corners of the Minecraft universe". 

"Play is at the heart of Mojang Studios. It’s the blocky backbone of our games, the core of our development philosophy," Wiborgh writes, "and even entangled in our name (which roughly translates to “gadget” in lovely, old-timey Swedish). And now, finally, it’s squarely planted in our new, modular logo."

Wiborgh ended the post by thanking the Mojang community, saying, "as we celebrate Minecraft’s 11th birthday, we’re reminded that none of this would have been possible without you, our amazing community. When we talk about developing new games, and find (or invent!) entirely new avenues for creativity, know that Minecraft and its community will always be at the center of our universe."

Want to know more? Check out our Minecraft Dungeons beta preview

Heather Wald
Senior staff writer

I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I'm not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.