Microsoft is buying Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion

Microsoft is buying Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion
(Image credit: Facebook/Minecraft)

Microsoft has agreed to buy Mojang, makers of the enormously popular video game franchise Minecraft, for $2.5 billion. Minecraft is not currently playable on Windows phones, though it has around 100 million users on iOS and Android; acquiring Mojang would thus allow Microsoft to try and tap the game's mobile potential on its own devices, too.

Mojang's majority shareholder said in a statement that he was amazed by Minecraft's popularity, but that he "doesn't want the responsibility of owning a company of such global significance."

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.