Minecraft real-time strategy game reportedly in development

There's another Minecraft game in the works, and this time it's reportedly a real-time strategy title.

Former Giantbomb host Jeff Gerstmann discussed what he'd seen of the game last night via Twitch, and suggested it was far enough along in development it could potentially be revealed as part of Microsoft's Xbox and Bethesda Showcase on Sunday.

As for the game itself, which Gerstmann said was currently in testing, it puts players in command of a "Steve-like" unit that directs others to fight off Minecraft enemies such as Piglins.

Watch on YouTube A look at Minecraft's The Wild Update.

"I don't know if this is something that's going to get announced at Microsoft's event but there's a new Microsoft spin-off in the works," Gerstmann said. "Microsoft appears to be testing it out and putting it out under a code-name...

"From the basic descriptions, and I got to see a couple of screenshots of it, it seems like a real-time strategy game - an RTS of sorts. But the difference is you're controlling a Steve-esque unit on the field and ordering your units around in a third-person view. And you're taking on Piglins and it'll have a story and cut-scenes and all this other stuff."

Gerstmann did not detail which studio was working on the project, though it is believed this is a separate game from the previously-leaked 4X strategy spin-off in the works at Ashes of the Singularity studio Oxide Games. That project, said to be more akin to Civilization for PC and Xbox, remains under wraps for the time being.

Of course, these aren't the first Minecraft spin-offs from Microsoft. Mojang's popular Minecraft Dungeons continues to receive new content, though the Pokémon Go-like Minecraft Earth has now been shut down.

As for the main Minecraft, it this week launched the huge The Wild Update, which included its long-awaited Deep Dark biome. I sat down with Mojang, including Minecraft's game director Agnes Larsson, to find out more about that feature's long delay.