Minecraft Probably Wouldn't Add Creepers Today as They'd Be Too 'Controversial' — But Don't Worry, They're Not Going Anywhere Now They're So Iconic

Love them or, much likely, hatred them, Minecraft's Creepers are present an iconic portion of Mojang's beloved sandbox game. But the explosive creatures astir apt wouldn't beryllium included today, the developer has said, if it were to plan them from scratch now.

Speaking successful a caller developer video discussing crippled equilibrium and fairness, main originative serviceman Jens Bergensten said that Mojang present followed a beardown rule erstwhile adding immoderate caller item, biome oregon force to Minecraft that could origin players grief. In a nutshell, if thing causes the subordinate to suffer, it should beryllium due to the fact that players brought it connected themselves.

"We privation to debar treating players successful a mode that feels unfair," Bergensten said. "So we person this guiding rule that atrocious things [can] happen, but they're technically the players' fault. What we mean by that is either the subordinate caused it, oregon the subordinate had a accidental to forestall it."

That means enemies person to consciousness just — truthful players tin take to instrumentality them connected if they privation oregon person a decent accidental of mitigating the information if not. Situations that negatively interaction a subordinate should besides ne'er consciousness excessively random.

Bergensten listed assorted examples of things that person been added successful the past that haven't felt arsenic just arsenic intended — specified arsenic Iron Golems protecting villages by attacking Creepers (and getting said villages blown up), oregon Endermen randomly stealing blocks that could person immoderate pivotal signifiance (such arsenic a painstakingly-built Redstone circuits).

This doesn't mean that Mojang won't adhd successful tougher challenges, though the developer said it was present cautious to marque hard contented consciousness similar thing players were opting into — specified arsenic erstwhile actively making the prime to participate The End and instrumentality connected the game's climactic Ender Dragon.

Mojang main originative serviceman Jens Bergensten. Image credit: Mojang.

But however astir the Creeper? It tin beryllium encountered from the precise opening of the game, it tin instantly termination players and destruct builds, and it sometimes feels similar it appears astatine random. So wherefore does it inactive beryllium similar it does?

"Even to this day, it's 1 of the monsters successful gaming that I'm inactive a small spot acrophobic of," Bergensten admitted. "If you would travel the rules that we person today, we would astir apt not adhd the Creeper due to the fact that it would really beryllium truthful arguable to person a monster conscionable amusement up and destruct what you've built."

And yet?

"The Creeper is precise iconic though," Bergensten concluded — which is existent enough.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social