In a push to "measure how fun Minecraft is," developer Mojang is adding new ways to collect player data for metrics like playtime, some of which are automatic.
In a preview snapshot for the next Minecraft: Java Edition patch, the devs have introduced a new set of telemetry options to the game's menu. The menu will display information about the data collected from players and let you decide whether you want to send 'all' data or just 'minimal' data. 'Minimal' is the default. There is no 'off' option.
The required data is harvested in the form of 'WorldLoaded' and 'WorldUnloaded' events, which essentially track your playtime in a given session in the form of seconds and ticks (an in-game time measurement unit).
As Mojang explains in the patch notes, this data collection "will measure how fun Minecraft is, using metrics such as playtime and the game modes that players choose to play. That's it. All the data we collect, whether required or opt-in, follows GDPR and CCPA best practices to keep your information safe."
These features should hit Minecraft: Java Edition as of patch 1.19.3, which does not yet have a release date. Java Edition has gone back and forth on including telemetry data (it was once known as the 'snooper') based on changing global regulations, but it's had some technical diagnostics in place since a snapshot last year.
The optional telemetry bits you can opt in for will measure your game's performance and world load times. The game will also archive the data sent to the devs so you can see it for up to seven days.
Historically, custom, modded clients for Java Edition have made all data tracking optional, but it remains to be seen if they'll continue to be effective in that regard after this update.
This is all about Java Edition, but what about Bedrock? Unfortunately, that information is difficult to come by. I've been unable to find any public breakdown of exactly what information Bedrock collects, but if Java is tracking playtime, it's safe to guess that Bedrock is doing the same. In fact, it's probably safe to guess that most games you're playing are tracking similar sorts of data - a 2019 Polygon feature breaks down some of the considerations you might want to be aware of.
Maybe it's a good thing the playtime tracker is arriving after one Minecraft player spent 2,500 hours walking to the end of the game, only to die immediately.
