What is Minecraft Legends? Everything we know about the upcoming Minecraft RTS

Looking for everything we know about Minecraft Legends? Minecraft Legends is an RTS spin-off of Minecraft, the survival sandbox game that lets players unleash their creativity in blocky fashion. Whether you're a new Minecraft fan, or have eagerly played everything over the years, from the original to the recent Minecraft Dungeons spin-off, then Minecraft Legends has probably caught your interest.

Announced at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, Minecraft Legends is a realtime strategy game from Blackbird Interactive, developers of Crossfire: Legion and Homeworld 3. In Minecraft Legends, you will "lead your allies in heroic battles to defend the Overworld from the destructive piglins". If that gets you interested, then read on for lots more about Minecraft Legends' upcoming release.

On this page, we'll provide regular updates on the latest Minecraft Legends news in the lead-up to launch.

Minecraft Legends release date and platforms

Minecraft Legends will be released on April 18th, 2023, according to information given at the latest Xbox Developer Direct. This is one of the few major releases in 2023 that's not suffered any delays yet — let's hope I haven't just jinxed it and wish it a trouble-free launch!

Minecraft legends platforms

In addition to PC, Minecraft Legends will be coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4. Every platform shares that April 18th release date, making this one of the very few games expected to release on every major system simultaneously in 2023.

Is Minecraft Legends on Game Pass?

Minecraft Legends will be arriving on Game Pass on its release day. This means that players on Microsoft platforms (PC, current- and last-gen Xbox) will be able to play it at no extra cost if they're subscribed.

Minecraft Legends gameplay

Minecraft Legends is a real-time action strategy game, so expect less chill sandboxy building and more defending your settlement from marauders. Ed described it as "a colorful mix of RTS and building" after seeing a presentation at last year's Gamescom, and there will be some building elements in the mix (this is still Minecraft, after all), but don't expect it to take centre-stage in this game.

Building on that foundation (see what I did?), here's the first gameplay video for Minecraft Legends, as seen at the Minecraft Live 2022 expo:

This first look at the gameplay also includes some story cutscenes, which tells us that Minecraft Legends will have both a plotline and non-interactive sections where you get to know the characters a little. This isn't the first time that Minecraft has done something along those lines (Minecraft: Story Mode has been around for years, after all), but it's an interesting confirmation that Legends will be moving further away from the sandbox into something more concretely goal-oriented.

Minecraft Legends multiplayer and crossplay

Minecraft Legends will have both co-op and competitive multiplayer options, and will support cross-platform play.

Co-op mode will include the game's main campaign, while PvP will be a distinct mode, available from launch, unconnected to the game's main story. There are some similarities between modes, however, such as the fact that combat areas will be procedurally generated. Furthermore, Piglins will feature as PvE enemies in both modes, adding a chaotic third faction to PvP skirmishes.

In competitive PvP, up to eight players can join a lobby, in which they'll split into two teams of four. Each team will then build a base and an army, before charging each other in battle. The goal in PvP is to destroy the base of the opposing team, while building your own structures to gain buffs and advantages. Matches in this mode are expected to last about 20-30 minutes each.

The co-op campaign will allow players to team up and play through the campaign together. It's not clear how many players can join the same lobby, and thus far we've been unable to find anything to suggest it won't mirror the PvP number of eight players per game.

Minecraft Legends mobs

Piglin mobs will be making a return in Minecraft Legends, this time taking on the significant role of the main antagonists of the game. These visitors from the Nether are set to be the main threat to settlements in the game, as well as your targets in the RTS battles.

The Piglins in Minecraft Legends will belong to one of several distinct categories, each with their own roles and distinctive designs. Grunters and Runts will be mook-level enemies, Bruisers and Portal Guards are beefier and more specialised types, and Piggos appear to be mounts.

Here's a list of all the mobs that have been officially confirmed for Minecraft Legends:

• Piglin - Grunter
• Piglin - Runt
• Piglin - Bruiser
• Piglin - Portal Guard
• Piglin - Piggo
• Zombies
• Skeletons
• Creepers
• Plank Golem
• Cobblestone Golem
• Grindstone Golem
• Mossy Golem

In a twist on Minecraft classic, all mobs aside from Piglins will be non-hostile and befriendable by the player. The cinematic mobs trailer shows a friendly interaction between a Villager and a Zombie Villager to further underscore the point.

The new types of Golem, meanwhile, act as NPC companions to provide support in battle. Plank Golems are ranged fighters that behave somewhat like mobile turrets; Cobblestone Golems are melee bruisers; Grindstone Golems provide knock-back defence; and Mossy Golems are healers.

In terms of neutral mobs, rabbits, cats, turtles, and chickens feature in the cinematic trailer, and you can catch a glimpse of an alpaca and some horses in the dev blog video.

Minecraft Legends system specs for PC

Per the game's listing on Steam, the following system requirements will apply to Minecraft Legends on PC:

Right now, it's worth noting that the minimum and recommended system requirements listed on Steam are identical.

That's all we know for now about Minecraft Legends, but keep an eye on this page for more news as soon as we learn it! In the meantime, since I'm guessing there's a good chance you're a Minecraft fan already, why not check out our page detailing everything we know about Minecraft 1.20? You might also like our run-down of the best Minecraft seeds.