Tubbo launches a universal Minecraft server

Toby “Tubbo” Smith and the Misfits Gaming Group are officially launching TubNet, a cross-platform Minecraft server. TubNet is aiming to provide a fun and engaging community space for players to hang out and play exciting, original content.

“We brought Toby into the Misfits family earlier this year and were excited to partner with him and his team to continue pouring every possible resource into his mission to build TubNet as an radically new, immersive and innovative Minecraft experience,” said MGG boss Ben Spoont, in a statement to GamesBeat. “I can’t wait for players to build in, interact with and enjoy everything this world has to offer, and we at Misfits can’t wait to continue helping ambitious creators build exciting new projects.”

The biggest issue in Minecraft these days is the different editions of the game available. Minecraft Bedrock, for example, works across consoles while many players on PC still use the Java edition. Players using the Java client are unable to play with Bedrock edition players, unless they themselves convert to the Bedrock edition of the game.

TubNet is trying to directly address the issue. The team behind TubNet is using some new technology to allow PC Java edition users to fully participate. That tech makes TubNet the first server capable of universal cross-play in Minecraft.

It isn’t just MGG supporting TubNet’s launch, either. Kraft Heinz is also partnering with TubNet to promote its Lunchables brand. Whether or not you can craft an actual Lunchable on the server to stave off in-game hunger remains to be seen.

What you can do in TubNet

Minecraft is famous for creators coming up with games within the game such as parkour courses or whole mods that change the concept of what Minecraft is. TubNet, at launch, is somewhere in the middle.

The server is starting off with three fully fleshed-out games for players to engage with:

• Crystal Rush: Each player begins on a small island suspended in the sky with few materials to defend themselves with. Players must collect Crystals that they purchase weapons, tools and blocks with that can be used to build their way to other people’s islands. The goal of the game is to build your way to other players’ islands, destroy your opponents’ crystals, and defeat enemy players. Players will continue to respawn until their crystal is destroyed by an opponent.

• Light Strike: A strategic, team-based game that has two groups of players: Placers and Breakers. The Placers have an item called the STAR which they must plant within the map and defend from the Breakers whose objective is to remove the STAR before its timer counts down to zero.

• Spacebound: A leisure game that emphasizes player creativity. Spacebound encourages players to build their own rocket with the ambition of winning races against other players’ rockets. Many variables affect how players can win these games, including decisions on what kinds of materials, parts and other factors they can use. Players can obtain the materials used to build their rockets by completing missions and races.

More is on the way

Take a second. Really look at the descriptions of those games. Vanilla Minecraft — Minecraft without modifications — is a game about digging and placing blocks. The things that can happen in Minecraft these days are amazing.

Then you need to remember that this server is available to everyone. And that more games like these are on the way. It’s honestly kind of incredible.

Update: 2:51pm: Changed the wording on the Kraft Heinz partnership to be more accurate.