King and Mojang expand Minecraft Blast testing to Canada and Australia as cross-studio collaboration matures
Summary
King and Mojang expand Minecraft Blast testing to Canada and Australia this October.
Talks began in November 2023 as Microsoft's $69 billion Activision Blizzard deal closed.
The deal merged King and Mojang into one corporate structure for the first time.
Lammin and Nedfors treat the rollout as a monetization validation step before any launch.
01
Acquisition closing triggered immediate cross-studio talks
"The acquisition took quite some time for various reasons, but when it was about to come through, it was like: the day that goes through we want to talk to King."
Nedfors says Mojang sought a mobile-first Minecraft game for years before the deal.
A dedicated team formed in March 2024 under the code name Project Diamonds.
Teams tested multiple casual concepts from April to October 2024 before choosing blast mechanics.
King and Mojang now report directly to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma after a reset.
02
Mojang's design-only role sets the IP governance model
Mojang shapes design decisions on Minecraft Blast but writes no code for it.
King's narrative team collaborates directly with Mojang's narrative director on the story.
Lammin plans live events that fuse moments from the wider Minecraft world into the game.
03
King treats the rollout as a monetization funnel
"Focus area is mainly retention, purchases and user acquisition."
The first Malaysia test offered three chapters and about 230 levels, with no purchases.
A second Malaysia test added seven chapters, 500 levels and the first in-app purchases.
Purchases cover boosters, hard currency and cosmetics, King's established casual monetization mix.
The Canada and Australia test lasts three to four weeks as a limited playtest.
04
Lammin's IP caveat tempers brand-power optimism
"IP helps in this area, but it's not IP alone that determines the success of a product."
Candy Crush Saga has generated more than $20 billion in lifetime revenue for King.
King's recent releases have struggled to replicate that scale.
Minecraft has shipped 400 million units, and its film earned $301 million in two days.
Lammin resists a global launch date, calling the project "early, early days."
What this means
For Publishers & Developers: Benchmark blast-puzzle retention targets against an IP-backed King entrant before greenlighting Western launches.
For Investors & VC: Discount IP-premium valuations on licensed casual pitches until retention data proves brand lift.
For UA & Marketing: Raise puzzle-audience CPI forecasts in King's soft-launch geos for the playtest window.
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