Minecraft Now Available for Windows Phones, See First Images Here

Microsoft, the new owner and operator of the Minecraft franchise (that's still somewhat weird to write), today released the Windows Phone version of the popular sandbox game. It's available now to download from the Windows Store for $7, the same price as the iOS and Android Pocket Editions.

The Windows Phone version of Minecraft comes with everything found in the other mobile versions, including Survival mode, Creative mode, and multiplayer over Wi-Fi. Notably, however, the game is only playable on Windows Phones running 8.1.

Microsoft, in one of the biggest game industry news events of the year, acquired Minecraft and developer Mojang in September for $2.5 billion. As part of the deal, three of Mojang's founders, including creator Markus "Notch" Persson, left the studio.

With its release today for Windows Phones, Minecraft is now essentially available on all major, modern platforms. The game is already available for PC, Mac, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android.

For more on the Windows Phone version of Minecraft, check out the image gallery below.

Gallery