Apple TV’s version of “Minecraft” will no longer receive updates or support, The Verge reported Thursday.
Sadly, Microsoft pulled support on Sept. 24, stating in a pop-up message on the Apple TV version of the “Minecraft” app that “We’re grateful to the Apple TV community for their support but we need to reallocate resources to the platforms that our players use the most.”
That few appeared to notice until now seems to prove that Microsoft made the right call.
For anyone who already purchased the game for the Apple TV, they can still play but won’t receive the support that other versions have. As such, Microsoft is issuing full refunds for anyone who purchased the Apple TV version in the last 90 days.
“Minecraft” is still a wildly popular title on other platforms, particularly among young players. The game could be seeing its first signs of diminishing popularity, though, as the playerbase for “Minecraft” actually experienced its first decrease this year, according to market research firm Interpret.
“‘Minecraft’s’ share of all gaming time by kids age 6-12 has dropped 5% since [2017], although it still commands a hefty 13% of total game time,” according to Interpret.
This could be in part to the increasing popularity of “Roblox,” which also attracts young players who like to build games and play already-created games within the “Roblox” community.
Plus, the ever-increasing popularity of battle royale game “Fortnite” can’t be discarded, which has become so popular with young players that some parents are even hiring “Fortnite” tutors to help their kids improve.