Persson cancels Minecraft for Oculus Rift following Facebook swoop

A virtual reality version of Minecraft in the planning stages for Oculus Rift has been cancelled.

That’s according to Minecraft creator Markus Persson, who has claimed on Twitter to have pulled the plug on the deal following the acquisition of Oculus at the hands of Facebook for $2bn.

We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out,” he said.

A Reddit post from Oculus founder Palmer Luckey tonight emphasised the Rift’s gaming ambitions, claiming that the buyout will only enhance and not threaten the device’s focus on gaming.

The commentary on social media, however, is already suggesting that the move will see Rift’s future concentrated on social and tourism opportunities, at the expense of games – a fact that if true leaves the door wide open for Sony’s Project Morpheus.

We were in talks about maybe bringing a version of Minecraft to Oculus. I just cancelled that deal. Facebook creeps me out.

— notch (@notch) March 25, 2014