Table of Contents
Introducing Scott!
The MC Championship, or MCC, returns this weekend, featuring some of the game’s most prominent online personalities from around the world.
What began as a simple notion in the 28-year-old Scottish YouTuber’s head, which he says surprised him when it grew to this size. Scott’s event received a record number of internet watchers during the Covid lockdown, with over 900,000 watching.
His Story
With room for 40 contestants, Scott admitted to “batting away people with a stick” who wanted to participate. It all started in 2019 when Scott, also known as ‘dangthatsalongname’ online, sought to host a new type of Minecraft tournament that was well-organized and not overly competitive. “We try to focus on fun, so there is no prize money for winning,” he states. The winner receives a pixelated in-game trophy, a commemorative coin, and the ultimate bragging rights.
He spoke with his friend ‘Noxite’, the founder of Nottingham-based Noxcrew, which creates Minecraft content. Within months, the inaugural Minecraft Championship was created. It’s streamed live on YouTube, Twitch, and other streaming services.
Scott says MCC was “regularly praised” when it first started, but as it grew in size and ambition, it faced new obstacles. Some Minecraft content developers, including Scott’s close friends, have been on a waiting list for more than a year to participate. “Suddenly it flipped and that was mentally taxing” , according to him. “Even though it’s just individuals and words online, it eventually takes its toll, and it’s difficult to see only positive remarks. “I got severe anxiety through the online space,” he stated.
Scott considered quitting several times when it began to impact his mental health
“We don’t get paid for MCC, it’s done by our own love and drive for the game.” “Even though I would have people harassing me, the creators I knew and were interacting with were telling me how fun it was. “That’s what brings people from different communities together and lets them form friendships that they wouldn’t have been able to do before,” he said. Scott said MCC made the previously separated Minecraft community feel more like one. The tournament was like a “world-colliding moment,” Scott said. “That was always my goal – bringing the community together.”
Minecraft was released by Mojang Studios in November 2011 and has now sold over 300 million copies. The building block game is popular among both children and adults because of its sandbox aspect, which means that if you can conceive it, you can construct it. During MCC, competitors compete in eight different games in teams of four. Other games such as bingo, Mario Kart, and the TV show “Hole in the Wall” have influenced some.
The Team Working Together
“Noxcrew build video games inside Minecraft,” he states. “It pushes Minecraft’s capabilities to the utmost. Scott manages the MCC teams and creator talent, while Noxcrew, a firm with over 30 employees, oversees the event’s operations and development. They use new models, audio, and textures to turn Minecraft into an immersive game show.
According to Noxcrew co-owner Joe Arsenault, MCC began at the ideal time during the pandemic, immediately before the first lockdown. “The Minecraft tsunami exploded and the game got really popular again,” Joe claims. He refers to MCC as “an entertainment project disguised as a competition”.
“It would be challenging to host something that’s really intensely competitive and has the integrity you need to be an e-Sport,” Joe says. “Minecraft’s a stupid game, it’s simply a block guy with facial hair punching trees with fists – it’s ludicrous, and we just accept that it’s fine.”
Katy, 4 Time Winner
MCC participant FalseSymmetry (aka Katy) was the first woman to win the event four times. The 32-year-old has been a YouTuber in the Minecraft community for almost a decade and believes the competition benefited the game. “Playing in MCC has always been an absolute blast,” she explains. “I don’t think there have been any events I’ve played in that I haven’t enjoyed.”
She adds: “It has helped provide uniformity to competitive Minecraft games… as well as bringing so many producers together who would not have collaborated otherwise. “The amazing community around the game is what has kept it going,” she stated. After a five-month vacation, the event will resume its fourth season on Saturday, May 4.
Stay updated on all of the latest news by subscribing to the ITP Live newsletter below and by clicking the push notifications.