Minecraft has a history spanning well over a decade, and believe it or not, some servers from the game's earliest days of multiplayer are still active. They don't sport the massive player counts that the likes of Hypixel might have, and they might not be flooded with elaborate plugins or other content, but they've remained fixtures in the multiplayer community in the game's earliest days.
In a way, many of these Minecraft servers are an excellent way to explore the game's history while having some fun at the same time. Each of the old servers in the game is different, but they all have a story to tell and still welcome players to this day.
On that note, we explore the five oldest active servers today.
Disclaimer: Details in this article are based on data collected from various sources and may vary.
Examining the Top 5 Oldest Minecraft Servers That Are Still Active
5) 2b2t (2b2t.org)
Founded in December 2010, shortly after Minecraft gained online multiplayer functionality, 2b2t (2builders2tools) began as a standard survival server but has since become one of the most notorious anarchy servers in the game's history. The game is permanently set to Hard difficulty, PvP is enabled, and the game world has maintained its persistent world map that has never been reset.
In 2b2t, nearly anything goes when it comes to its rules-free approach. This includes griefing, spawn killing, and cheating/hacking, as well as no moderation for communication, which has often led to a very toxic and outright prejudiced player base. Despite all of this, 2b2t is still visited by players regularly, and it has earned a reputation for being one of the purest anarchy servers in Minecraft's history.
4) Minr.org (Zero.minr.org)
Opened in October 2010, Minr.org is likely the oldest Minecraft challenge/minigame server but still entertains players today. The server includes over 600 challenges, including parkour, minigames, and puzzles, and continues to update to the most recent versions of Java Edition. Minr.org also facilitates a pure free-to-play environment where microtransactions serve no competitive edge.
For 14 years, the Green community on Minr.org has fostered a fun and challenging environment with an incredibly dedicated player base. Even if it isn't the largest, there's a reason why many players continue to return to Minr.org to take on its massive collection of challenges time and time again.
3) Crazy-Fools UK (Minecraft.crazy-fools.co.uk)
Opened in August 2010, Crazy-Fools UK possesses four separate worlds, including its original Survival Multiplayer world, a Creative Mode world, as well as one for challenges, and another for examining the history of the server's map in Spectator Mode. The SMP world for Crazy-Fools UK is nearly 14 years old, making it one of the oldest of its kind.
However, unlike a server like 2b2t, the persistent world of Crazy-Fools UK is moderated to prevent griefing and ban rule offenders. Moreover, the server backs up every day to ensure that the world the server's community has cultivated for almost 14 years is preserved for years to come. Overall, the server's player count isn't what it once was, but Crazy-Fools is still a frequented destination.
2) Minecraft Online (MinecraftOnline.com)
Long considered the oldest Minecraft server in existence, this server is likely the oldest running survival multiplayer server. Its persistent world has existed since August 2010 and has been safeguarded to prevent griefing or other exploits. The player base remains friendly and cooperative, and the moderators remain active in dealing with players who attempt to cause issues for the community.
The map, known as Freedonia, has remained in operation since the server opened. Every part of the world was created by players with naturally occurring resources. Some of the structures built on this server are truly breathtaking. Moreover, this server keeps several mods and plugins in place to ensure a smooth and grief-free survival experience.
1) Nerd.nu (P.nerdnu.io and C.nerdnu.io)
After thorough research by the broader community, most players have determined that Nerd.nu holds the title of the oldest server to operate in the game. Opened during the first-ever multiplayer test for the game, Nerd.nu has been active since June 2009, and its persistent worlds have been growing and changing for almost 15 years now.
For the most part, the Creative and PvE worlds of Nerd.nu are fairly vanilla except for certain mods/plugins to prevent griefing. The server offers Creative building, PvP, Survival, and minigames and has a relatively small circle of dedicated players. Still, fans might owe it to themselves to check out what is likely the oldest active server in the sandbox title's history.