The first game Markus Persson purchased with his own money was The Bard's Tale, marking the start of a lifelong engagement with digital systems. Born in Stockholm in 1979, the Swedish programmer transitioned from early childhood experiments on a Commodore 128 to creating the most successful video game in history, fundamentally changing the landscape of independent software development.
Formative Years in Sweden
Raised in Edsbyn until the age of seven, Persson spent his formative years exploring woods and engaging with technology. His father, a railway worker, taught him to operate the family Commodore 128, where he loaded type-in programs from magazines. By age eight, he had produced his first text-based adventure game. Despite later studying graphic design between ages 15 and 18, his focus remained on programming.
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Persson began his professional trajectory as a web designer before securing a position at Game Federation. There, he collaborated with Rolf Jansson to develop the 2006 title Wurm Online. This period included his employment at Midasplayer, later known as King, where he spent five years working as a programmer on browser-based Flash games, followed by a tenure at jAlbum.
The Creation of Minecraft
In 2009, Persson developed RubyDung, an isometric base-building prototype influenced by RollerCoaster Tycoon. Inspiration from the block-based mining game Infiniminer shifted his focus toward first-person block manipulation. He released the first version of Minecraft on the TIGSource forums on 17 May 2009. The game evolved through various development stages, including Survival Test and Alpha, eventually reaching ten million registered accounts by mid-2011.
Expansion and Exit
After founding Mojang Studios, Persson oversaw the rapid commercial rise of Minecraft, which sold over four million copies before its official 2011 retail release. He famously declined a job offer from Valve Corporation to maintain his independence. In December 2011, he handed creative authority to Jens Bergensten. By November 2014, Persson sold Mojang to Microsoft for US$2.5 billion, departing the company entirely.
Fast facts
- Born: 1979, Stockholm, Sweden
- First programming effort: Text-based adventure at age 8
- Key development company: Mojang Studios (founded 2009)
- British Academy Games Special Award: 2012
- Microsoft acquisition of Mojang: November 2014
- Reported sale price of Mojang: US$2.5 billion
- Post-Mojang ventures: Bitshift Entertainment (founded 2015 as Rubberbrain)
- Languages: English, Swedish
Questions readers ask
Did Markus Persson create Minecraft?
Yes, he founded Mojang Studios in 2009 and developed the initial versions of the game.
Is Markus Persson still involved with Microsoft or Minecraft?
No, he left Mojang in 2014 after the company was sold to Microsoft and currently has no active involvement in the game.
Achievements
- Worked as programmer, video game producer and designer
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