Microsoft Working To Fix Minecraft In South Korea After It Becomes Inaccessible For Under 19s

An unusual problem occurred with Minecraft last week in South Korea. Players were unable to jump into the game unless they were at least 19 years old, having been informed they would need Xbox Live accounts to continue playing it.

The original report comes from The Korea Herald, which revealed the change comes from the 2011 Cinderella Law. Said law prevents children under the age of 16 from playing online games between midnight and six o'clock in the morning, and in 2012, Microsoft pushed the legal age of using Xbox Live to 19 to combat this issue.

Now, as Xbox Live accounts are needed to play Minecraft in South Korea, Microsoft is reportedly seeking to rectify this issue. In a statement to Gamesindustry,biz, a spokesperson from Microsoft said the company is looking for a "longer term solution for existing and new players under the age of 19", and will have "more to share on this later this year."

"We are proceeding with the global migration of Mojang accounts to Microsoft accounts for Minecraft: Java Edition including for our players in South Korea. We're working on a longer term solution for existing and new players under the age of 19 in South Korea and will have more to share on this later this year."

It's unfortunately a case of multiple systems clashing to block players from the game, even though Minecraft is rated 12+ in the country. Hopefully fans of the game in South Korea who are blocked will soon be able to dive back in.

Ever been banned from playing a game due to age restricted issues? Let us know in the comments below.