Minecraft is not a publicly traded company, so you won’t find it on stock exchanges such as NYSE or NASDAQ. However, there are still ways to gain investment exposure tp the popular gaming company.
Minecraft is one of the most popular video games in the world, boasting more than 150 million active monthly users and generating 238 million sales between 2011 and 2021. It has achieved widespread acclaim since the title first launched 12 years ago, yet the game itself has never had an IPO.
Since there has never been a Minecraft IPO, there is no Minecraft stock symbol, and the game itself does not have a stock price. For anyone seeking to invest, this makes the process a bit more complicated than usual. With that in mind, let’s dive into the game’s background and learn how to gain exposure.
About Minecraft
Minecraft places players in an endless open world with nothing but an empty map. It uses a 3D-rendered world of blocks that take the shape of a wild landscape filled with trees, mountains, oceans, deserts, and many other biomes that players can explore.
In terms of game mechanics, Minecraft is simple. Players can mine every single block that they see in the world, harvesting raw materials and using them to craft tools, build structures, and survive the wild landscape in which they find themselves.
Minecraft has become one of the world’s most popular games since it first launched in 2011. It can be played on PC, gaming consoles, and mobile phones, with Statista reporting in 2021 that the game had over 140 million active players — it is now estimated that this figure has reached 170 million in 2023.
Minecraft, active monthly users. Image source: Statista
Minecraft was developed and distributed by Mojang AB, after initially being created by an independent game developer called Markus Persson. Mojang AB was later acquired by Microsoft for $2.5 billion, and Minecraft has been owned by Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios since the acquisition in 2014.
Mojang remains a self-sufficient arm of Xbox Game Studios, managing game updates and executing the brand’s long-term vision. Xbox Game Studios provides access to funding and advanced technologies for Mojang, and also promotes Minecraft to Xbox console players via the Xbox Live game store.
Minecraft sold 238 million units in its first 10 years, making it the best-selling video game in history. Minecraft’s total revenue was $380 million in 2021, with its mobile title being responsible for 42% of this figure.
Will there be a Minecraft IPO?
As things stand, there are no plans for a Minecraft IPO. Mojang AB was previously owned by 3 shareholders, including Markus Persson, who owned 71% of the company. Microsoft bought 100% of Mojang’s shares during the acquisition in 2014, and has not stated any intention to offer Minecraft or Mojang shares to the public since then.
However, this doesn’t mean that there will never be a Minecraft IPO date set. If Microsoft ever decides to take Mojang or Minecraft public, then investors will be able to gain a direct stake in the future of the game.
How to invest in Minecraft?
Due to its unique history, investing in Minecraft is not a straight-forward process. Investors won’t be able to find Minecraft listed on any stock exchange because it’s not a publicly traded company. The game is developed by Mojang AB, which was purchased by Xbox Game Studios, which belongs to Microsoft.
None of Minecraft, Mojang, or Xbox Game Studios are publicly traded companies. This means that the only way to invest in Minecraft right now is to buy Microsoft (MSFT) shares. MSFT has risen 37.27% YTD and posted a new all-time high in May 2023. At the current price of $328.66, MSFT has a total market cap of $2.44 trillion.
Microsoft (MSFT) stock price increased from $14 in 2003 to $327 in 2023, gaining over +2,230% in the time period.
How to invest in Minecraft FAQs
Is Minecraft on the stock market?
Minecraft is not a publicly traded company, so it can’t be found on the stock market. Minecraft’s game development company, Mojang, is owned by an offshoot of Microsoft (MSFT). Buying MSFT shares is the best way to gain exposure to Minecraft.
Who owns Minecraft now?
Minecraft’s game development studio, Mojang AB, is owned by Xbox Game Studios. Xbox Game Studios, formerly known as Microsoft Studios, is a company that was set up by Microsoft in the year 2000. As a result, the parent company of Minecraft is Microsoft.
Can you invest in Minecraft stock?
There is no way to invest in Minecraft stock directly. The only way to gain exposure to Minecraft is by purchasing Microsoft (MSFT) shares, which are traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
The bottom line: You can’t invest in Minecraft directly, but you can gain exposure through MSFT
Minecraft is the highest-selling game title of all time and one of the most widely used games in the world today. It remains in the control of its original game development company, Mojang AB; however, Mojang was acquired by Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios in 2014.
Unless Microsoft decides to sell public shares in Xbox Game Studios or Mojang, or decides to announce a Minecraft IPO date, then the only way for investors to gain exposure to Minecraft is by purchasing MSFT shares on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
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Source: https://coincodex.com/article/31921/minecraft-stock/