Minecraft Middle Earth started on October 10, 2010, when a player named q220 decided that Tolkien's world should exist at walking scale. Fifteen years later it does: a map of 29,000 by 30,000 blocks, about 870 square kilometers, "the same size of Dallas or Fort Worth in Texas," with Minas Tirith standing on it, tier by tier, and the Mines of Moria dug underneath. You can log in tonight and walk from Bag End to the Black Gate.
A country-sized build
The terrain was made with WorldPainter and WorldMachine so that the Misty Mountains are the right height and the Anduin runs where it should. On top of it, volunteers have spent a decade and a half building the places from the books: Minas Tirith, Dol Amroth, Osgiliath, Pelargir and Andrast in Gondor; Isengard; the plains and holds of Rohan; and Moria, which is built in full, deep enough to get properly lost in.
The Minas Tirith build alone got its own documentary, "How we built Minas Tirith," and an official cinematic in 2020. When Mojang wanted to show off ray tracing in Windows Minecraft, Minas Tirith by Minecraft Middle-Earth was the city it used.
How you take part
Everyone starts as an Adventurer at Bag End. Warps and tours take you to the finished regions; the rest you walk. Nothing to pay.
Real work happens in jobs run by a Foreman: a section of wall, a district of houses, a stretch of road, built to the project's plans.
Type /theme for a plot with a brief (a Rohirric farm, a Gondorian tower) and show what you can do. Good theme builds lead to ranks.
The rank ladder, from Adventurer up through the build ranks, is how the project keeps quality high without gatekeeping curiosity. You never need a rank to look. PCGamesN put it on its best-servers list for exactly that reason: it is a build project you can visit like a museum, except the exhibits keep growing.
MCME is founded by q220.
The first project trailer presents "the largest project on Minecraft."
The official trailer; Minas Tirith and Gondor's coast take shape.
The Minas Tirith cinematic; the RTX showcase with Mojang.
Still building, on Minecraft 1.21.4, with a yearly review video and new regions in progress.
Live status from our pinger:
Live from our pinger · checked 1 min ago
Your first visit
Join build.mcmiddleearth.com on Minecraft 1.21.4, install the resource pack the server offers (it is what makes the stone look like Gondor), and read the New Player Guide on the site. Then walk to Minas Tirith. Take the long way.
The other planet-sized project you can join is Build the Earth. For more places to build, see our creative servers list.
Quick answers
What is the Minecraft Middle Earth IP?
build.mcmiddleearth.com, on Minecraft Java 1.21.4 at last check. The server offers its resource pack when you connect.
Can I just explore without building?
Yes. Everyone starts as an Adventurer with warps and tours to the finished regions. Building is optional.
How do I become a builder?
Do theme plots with /theme or join supervised jobs. Good work earns build ranks; the New Player Guide explains the ladder.
Is Minecraft Middle Earth free?
Yes. The project is volunteer-run and has no paid ranks.
Sources
- Minecraft Middle Earth: official site
- Minecraft Middle Earth: Minas Tirith cinematic showcase (YouTube)
- Minecraft Middle Earth: How we built Minas Tirith (YouTube)
Player counts, votes and uptime on this page are live from our own checks. Everything else comes from the sources above. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
