A highly anticipated video update of Minecraft was canceled by Microsoft because it was “too technically demanding,” the company said on Monday.
Announced at E3 2017, the graphics update dubbed Super Duper Graphics Pack was to bring the popular video game up to date. Microsoft’s plans include adding better lighting effects, including fog and more realistic shadows, as well as revisiting character textures and improving the movement of certain elements of the game, such as water and foliage. The ability to display the game in 4K resolution was also planned.
The new look of the game was originally expected to be available free of charge in the fall of 2017, but this deadline was eventually postponed indefinitely.
The update “was too technically binding to implement the way we planned,” said Microsoft in a post on his blog.
“We realize it’s disappointing for some of you […], but unfortunately we’re not happy with the performance of the update on a variety of devices,” the company continues.
Designers say they are working on “other ways to experience Minecraft with a new look.”
Microsoft celebrated this year the 10th anniversary of Minecraft, one of the industry’s most popular video game series since its launch. Swedish independent designer Markus Persson sold it to the Redmond giant in 2014 for $ 2.5 billion.
With information from CNet , Engadget and Ars Technica