Minecraft is a game with a veritable sea of multiplayer servers. A small number of these servers rose above the rank and file to become some of the most beloved in the community. One such example was Mineplex, one of the most popular Bedrock Edition servers that had recently expanded into Java and even sported a partnership with Mojang.
From 2013 to 2023, Mineplex served millions of fans with plenty of Minecraft game modes and became a premier server among the community, particularly among Bedrock fans. Sadly, it was announced on May 16, 2023, that Mineplex's server operation is permanently closing.
Though Mineplex had been in decline for quite some time, Minecraft fans still offered their condolences nonetheless.
Minecraft Redditors lament the loss of Mineplex
Considering that Mineplex was active for 10 years, many players have fond memories of their time playing on the server. New arrivals were somewhat surprised at the news, but some understand why Mineplex was shutting down, considering its low player count and recent anti-cheat issues.
Very few Minecraft servers can keep top-ranking popularity for long, and the fact that Mineplex enjoyed success for a decade is certainly an impressive accomplishment. However, all good things come to an end, and Mineplex simply doesn't have the financial backing that its counterparts like Hypixel have enjoyed.
One Minecraft fan by the name of ColdLandscape74 remarked that while it was regrettable that Mineplex decided to shut its doors, it was certainly a good time to do so. A low player count, a problematic anti-cheat system, and the relatively low popularity of the Java Edition infrastructure compounded the troubles for the server.
Despite the many memories and good times that Mineplex brought to its fanbase, ColdLandscape stated that it was better to terminate the server than allow it to decay in the hope that it would rebound or get a little more money from its subscribers.
Some Minecraft players were also quite surprised by the announcement, as they hadn't seen the news prior to checking social media channels.
The news slowly trickled out from Mineplex's official Discord server, where one of the server's administrators broke it to the remaining dedicated player base. After a few days of the server and website being offline, the permanent closure was relayed to the players with no fanfare or any official announcements from the highest members of Mineplex's management.
However, even a small message is better than the server dying off with zero explanation. It may not bring complete closure for longtime fans, but it may give them some semblance of peace as they set out to try out new servers.
An ex-server moderator also pointed fingers at the management that took over for Mineplex's original team in 2015, stating that they had prioritized profits over ensuring the long-term survival of the server.
Whatever the case may be, Mineplex's historic run in the Minecraft community has come to an end. As good as times may have been, players will have to look elsewhere for their multiplayer fix.
Fans certainly won't lack options, but the alternatives may never quite capture the fun that Mineplex offered during its best days.