Microsoft’s long-delayed upgrade to drag Minecraft’s iconic blocky look into the modern age has been scrapped all together.
On Monday, Minecraft developer Mojang announced that the Super Duper Graphics Pack teased at E3 2017 “proved too technically demanding to implement as planned.” The Super Duper Graphics Pack was supposed to introduce “excessive visual razzmatazz” to the cross-platform version of the game, including 4K resolution support, HDR visuals, dynamic shadows, directional lighting, edge highlighting, improved water effects, and more.
It was supposed to launch alongside Minecraft on Microsoft’s powerful Xbox One X console but wound up being pushed back. Now it’s dead. (So dead, in fact, that Mojang nuked the YouTube teaser trailer it revealed at the Super Duper Graphics Pack’s announcement.)
“We aren’t happy with how the pack performed across devices,” Mojang’s announcement says. “For this reason, we’re stopping development on the pack, and looking into other ways for you to experience Minecraft with a new look.”
That last line still gives hope for a future where Minecraft’s blocks look slightly shinier. Of course, PC gamers with the O.G. Java Edition of Minecraft and a hunger for eye candy don’t need to wait for Mojang to figure out how to optimize performance on phones and consoles with ancient CPUs, thanks to the power of mods. If you want to give modding a shot, check out PCGamesN’s list of glorious visual overhauls, while PC Gamer maintains a killer roundup of Minecraft mods that extend beyond mere graphical tweaks if you want to really get wild.