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{{Quote|There was no main reason or big idea, it started out as any generic Minecraft test server in late 2010 where me and some friends played on to play the game [...] [A]fter a while we decided to open it up to see how much destruction could be made and started advertising it on various places on the internet.<ref name="vice" />}}
{{Quote|There was no main reason or big idea, it started out as any generic Minecraft test server in late 2010 where me and some friends played on to play the game [...] [A]fter a while we decided to open it up to see how much destruction could be made and started advertising it on various places on the internet.<ref name="vice" />}}


The server was advertised shortly after its creation on online forums such as [[Reddit]], [[4chan]], and [[Facepunch Studios]], whose users populated the server by the hundreds due to the anarchic freedom it offered.<ref name="vice" /> Members from different forums launched raids against each other and their work on the server.<ref name="newsweek" /> Despite the founders having stopped playing ''Minecraft'', the server was continued due to the large playerbase that had been formed.<ref name="vice" />
The server was advertised shortly after its creation on online forums such as [[Reddit]], [[4chan]], and [[Facepunch Studios]], whose users populated the server by the hundreds due to the anarchic freedom it offered.<ref name="vice" /> Members from different forums launched raids against each other and their work on the server.<ref name="newsweek" /> Although the founders no longer play ''Minecraft'', the server remains online due to the large playerbase that had been formed.<ref name="vice" />


[[YouTuber]] TheCampingRusher uploaded a [[YouTube]] video on June 1, 2016, in which he played on 2b2t. This caused a massive influx of new players from the channel's audience.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="kotaku" /> A loose coalition of older players was formed to oppose these new players. Although the new players largely outnumbered the older players at the time, these older players had years of experience and resources.<ref name="kotaku" /> Some older players deterred new players by destroying the spawn-in area to make it uninhabitable and extremely challenging to proceed from.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="kotaku" /> Some have built in-game contraptions designed solely to lag the server, with the intent of making it extremely difficult for TheCampingRusher and his fans to play on the server.<ref name="kotaku" />
[[YouTuber]] 'TheCampingRusher' uploaded a [[YouTube]] video on June 1, 2016 of himself playing on the 2b2t server. This caused a massive influx of new players from the channel's audience.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="kotaku" /> A loose coalition of older players formed to oppose these new players. Although the new players largely outnumbered the older players at the time, these older players had years of experience and resources.<ref name="kotaku" /> Some older players deterred new players by destroying the spawn-in area to make it uninhabitable and extremely challenging to proceed from.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="kotaku" /> Some built in-game contraptions designed solely to [[lag|overload]] the server, with the intent of making it extremely difficult for TheCampingRusher and his fans to play.<ref name="kotaku" />


The sudden influx of new players overwhelmed the server and strained its hardware. A queue to enter the server was soon added in response. For some time, the queue gave earlier 2b2t players a priority over the newer players,<ref name="kotaku" /> although this was removed after a year.<ref name="redditpost">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/2b2t/comments/75y9sy/upcoming_changes_website_queue_to_be_reworked_and/ |title=Upcoming changes, website, queue to be reworked and 'pre 1st-june' list to be deleted, and some other information |last=2b2t |date=October 12, 2017 |website=[[Reddit]] |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419143042/https://www.reddit.com/r/2b2t/comments/75y9sy/upcoming_changes_website_queue_to_be_reworked_and/ |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2020}}</ref>{{better source|date=February 2020}} Players can also pay $20 to access a separate queue for one month.<ref name="kotaku" /> The regular queue is slowly moving and can stretch into the thousands.<ref name="newsweek" />
The sudden influx of new players overwhelmed the server and strained its hardware. A queue to enter the server was added in response. For some time, the queue gave earlier 2b2t players a priority over the newer players,<ref name="kotaku" /> although this was removed after a year.<ref name="redditpost">{{Cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/2b2t/comments/75y9sy/upcoming_changes_website_queue_to_be_reworked_and/ |title=Upcoming changes, website, queue to be reworked and 'pre 1st-june' list to be deleted, and some other information |last=2b2t |date=October 12, 2017 |website=[[Reddit]] |language=en-US |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419143042/https://www.reddit.com/r/2b2t/comments/75y9sy/upcoming_changes_website_queue_to_be_reworked_and/ |archive-date=April 19, 2019 |access-date=February 17, 2020}}</ref>{{better source|date=February 2020}} Players can also pay $20 to access a separate, "priority" queue for one month.<ref name="kotaku" /> The regular queue moves slowly and can stretch into the thousands of users.<ref name="newsweek" />


==Culture==
==Culture==
The culture of 2b2t has been described as "inhospitable" and "[[Nihilism|nihilistic]]".<ref name="newsweek" /> Supplies need to be hidden, players need to be armed, and should still expect to be killed repeatedly.<ref name="newsweek" /> This is exacerbated by the server being set to "hard" mode, with [[Player versus player|player-versus-player combat]] enabled, meaning that survival is considerably more difficult.<ref name="pcgamesn2012" /> Long-time players are often hostile to new players on the server, whom they call "[[Wiktionary:newfag|newfags]]".<ref name="kotaku" /> The server-wide chat often contains Nazi propaganda, racial slurs, and death threats.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="rockpapershotgun" />
The culture of 2b2t has been described as "inhospitable" and "[[Nihilism|nihilistic]]".<ref name="newsweek" /> Supplies must be hidden, players need to be armed, and should expect to be killed repeatedly.<ref name="newsweek" /> This is exacerbated by the server being set to "hard" difficult, with [[Player versus player|player-versus-player combat]] enabled, meaning that survival is considerably more difficult.<ref name="pcgamesn2012" /> Long-time players are often hostile to new players on the server, whom they call "[[Wiktionary:newfag|newfags]]".<ref name="kotaku" /> The server-wide chat often contains Nazi propaganda, racial slurs, and death threats.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="rockpapershotgun" />


Traps are deliberately placed surrounding the area where players first join the server: pits of lava, areas lit on fire, and portals that lead to lava or enclosed areas of obsidian that force players to disconnect and reconnect, waiting through the entire queue again.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Some players create large obstacles called "lava casts", in which water and lava are repeatedly poured down staircases of stone, creating mountains of jagged stone.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> There have also been "spawn incursions", in which dozens of players come together to take control of spawn for a time, such as to build a large base, kill many new players, or destroy other bases.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Inexperienced players can take dozens of attempts to escape the spawn area, not even counting the possibility of being killed by another player.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Roisin Kiberd of ''[[Newsweek]]'' said that enduring the challenge might be part of the appeal of 2b2t, that since nobody survives for long, there is a pride in having died there.<ref name="newsweek" />
Traps are deliberately placed surrounding the area where players first join the server: pits of lava, areas lit on fire, and portals that lead to lava or enclosed areas of obsidian that force players to disconnect and reconnect, waiting through the entire queue again.<ref name="newsweek" /><ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Some players create large obstacles called "lava casts", in which water and lava are repeatedly poured down staircases of stone, creating mountains of jagged stone.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> There have also been "spawn incursions", in which dozens of players come together to take control of spawn for a time, in order to build a large base, kill many new players, or destroy other bases.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Inexperienced players may need dozens of attempts to escape the spawn area due to terrain alone, not even considering the high probability of being killed by another player.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /> Roisin Kiberd of ''[[Newsweek]]'' said that enduring the challenge may be part of the appeal of 2b2t; since nobody survives for long, there is a pride in having died there.<ref name="newsweek" />


Experienced players reside far away from the spawn area in relative safety to play the game and build,<ref name="newsweek" /> meaning the map is nicer further away from spawn.<ref name="pcgamesn2012" /> The server has no etiquette regarding ownership; anything that is built belongs to them until another player finds and destroys it.<ref name="kotaku" /> Despite the culture of hostility and destruction, every [[April Fools' Day]] there is an event where the server changes to a custom map for a few days and players befriend or trust one other.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" />
Experienced players reside far away from the spawn area in relative safety to play the game and build,<ref name="newsweek" /> meaning the map is nicer further away from spawn.<ref name="pcgamesn2012" /> The server has no etiquette regarding ownership; anything that is built belongs to them until another player finds and destroys it.<ref name="kotaku" /> Despite the culture of hostility and destruction, every [[April Fools' Day]] there is an event where the server changes to a custom map for a few days and players befriend or trust one other.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" />


Players often use a "hacked client", which is an [[Minecraft mod|altered version]] of ''Minecraft'' which introduces abilities that are not in regular ''Minecraft'', such as [[X-ray vision]] and improved bow aim.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /><ref name="newsweek" /> These clients are necessary to navigate the environment, with popular mods granting radar and the ability to see through walls.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /><ref name="newsweek" /> New players without these clients are at a disadvantage.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" />
Players often use a "hacked client", which is an [[Minecraft mod|altered version]] of ''Minecraft'' featuring abilities that are not in the unmodified game client, such as [[X-ray vision]] and improved bow aim.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /><ref name="newsweek" /> These clients are viewed as necessary to navigate the environment, with popular mods granting radar and the ability to see through walls.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" /><ref name="newsweek" /> New players without these clients are at a disadvantage.<ref name="rockpapershotgun" />


==Reception==
==Reception==
=== News media ===
=== News media ===
2b2t is known as "the worst ''Minecraft'' server", according to Robert Guthrie of ''[[Kotaku]]''<ref name=kotaku/> and Andrew Paul of ''[[Vice (magazine)#Website|Vice]]'', who described the server as a "fantastical world of possibility and horror."<ref name=vice/> Brendan Caldwell of ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' described 2b2t as the game's most obscene server.<ref name=rockpapershotgun/> In June 2012, Craig Pearson of ''[[PCGamesN]]'' called it ''Minecraft''{{'}}s most offensive server, noting 2b2t's callousness and obscenity in the form of language, [[swastika]]s, and its hostile player base.<ref name="pcgamesn2012"/> In 2013, a ''PCGamesN'' article by Jeremy Peel announced ''Minecraft''{{'}}s built-in server hosting service, ''[[Minecraft Realms]]'', and mentioned that it would keeping children away from 2b2t, an implication of the server's unsafe environment.<ref name="pcgamesn">{{Cite news |last=Peel |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/minecraft-realms-subscription-service-families-will-bring-more-money-game-itself |title=Minecraft Realms is a subscription service for families that will "bring in more money than the game itself" |date=March 14, 2013 |work=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=December 2, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719142423/http://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/minecraft-realms-subscription-service-families-will-bring-more-money-game-itself |archive-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> In 2014, Tim Edwards wrote in a ''PCGamesN'' article addressing Microsoft regarding their purchase of Minecraft, that they shouldn't get "prissy" about player-made creations, stating that "2b2t is still an amazing achievement, with or without the swastikas."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Tim |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/dear-microsoft-about-minecraft-deal |title=Dear Microsoft: about that Minecraft deal |date=October 22, 2014 |work=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=May 15, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712102350/https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/dear-microsoft-about-minecraft-deal |archive-date=July 12, 2017}}</ref>
2b2t is known as "the worst ''Minecraft'' server", according to Robert Guthrie of ''[[Kotaku]]''<ref name=kotaku/> and Andrew Paul of ''[[Vice (magazine)#Website|Vice]]'', who described the server as a "fantastical world of possibility and horror."<ref name=vice/> Brendan Caldwell of ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' described 2b2t as the game's "most obscene server."<ref name=rockpapershotgun/> In June 2012, Craig Pearson of ''[[PCGamesN]]'' called it ''Minecraft''{{'}}s most offensive server, noting 2b2t's callousness and obscenity in the form of language, [[swastika]]s, and its hostile player base.<ref name="pcgamesn2012"/> In 2013, a ''PCGamesN'' article by Jeremy Peel announced ''Minecraft''{{'}}s built-in server hosting service, ''[[Minecraft Realms]]'', and mentioned that it would keeping children away from 2b2t, an implication of the server's unsafe environment.<ref name="pcgamesn">{{Cite news |last=Peel |first=Jeremy |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/minecraft-realms-subscription-service-families-will-bring-more-money-game-itself |title=Minecraft Realms is a subscription service for families that will "bring in more money than the game itself" |date=March 14, 2013 |work=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=December 2, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719142423/http://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/minecraft-realms-subscription-service-families-will-bring-more-money-game-itself |archive-date=July 19, 2016}}</ref> In 2014, Tim Edwards wrote in a ''PCGamesN'' article addressing Microsoft about their purchase of Minecraft, suggesting that they shouldn't get "prissy" about player-made creations, stating that "2b2t is still an amazing achievement, with or without the swastikas."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Edwards |first=Tim |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/dear-microsoft-about-minecraft-deal |title=Dear Microsoft: about that Minecraft deal |date=October 22, 2014 |work=[[PCGamesN]] |access-date=May 15, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170712102350/https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft/dear-microsoft-about-minecraft-deal |archive-date=July 12, 2017}}</ref>


Roisin Kiberd in ''[[Newsweek]]''<!-- The Independent article is a word-for-word copy that is newer than Newsweek; please don't add it: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/there-s-alternative-minecraft-server-without-any-rules-gaming-tech-a7323201.html --> described 2b2t as a malevolent form of ''Minecraft'', a place of beauty and terror. Kiberd called the server hell, stating that it is "not safe for life", as the server gives "free rein to your darkest impulses." Kiberd concluded that the main appeal of playing on the server comes from learning the possibilities of a server with few limits, as well as enduring its hostile environment.<ref name=newsweek/> A 2013 ''[[IGN]]'' article and video listed 2b2t's spawn area as one of the six best things in ''Minecraft'', describing the server as the "end boss" of ''Minecraft'' servers, a celebration of destruction and indifference. The article noted 2b2t's propensity towards griefing, the use of "hacked" clients, and player-built obscenities, and stated that players with a thick skin should visit 2b2t at least once.<ref name=ign/><ref name="ignvideo">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qun-6zB1zws |title=6 of the Most Amazing Things in Minecraft |date=June 20, 2013 |website=[[YouTube]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231012724/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qun-6zB1zws |archive-date=December 31, 2013 |access-date=December 23, 2019}}</ref> Comparing the mannerisms of those on 2b2t to instances of [[religious violence]] in the real world, Katherine Apostolacus described the anarchic nature of 2b2t as how Minecraft was meant to be played. She described how a rich history has developed within the server since its founding, with the cataloguing of events within 2b2t finding an audience beyond those who have played on the server.<ref name=analogies/>
Roisin Kiberd in ''[[Newsweek]]''<!-- The Independent article is a word-for-word copy that is newer than Newsweek; please don't add it: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/there-s-alternative-minecraft-server-without-any-rules-gaming-tech-a7323201.html --> described 2b2t as a malevolent form of ''Minecraft'', a place of beauty and terror. Kiberd called the server "hell", stating that it is "not safe for life", as the server gives "free rein to your darkest impulses." Kiberd concluded that the main appeal of playing on the server comes from learning the possibilities of a server with few limits, as well as enduring its hostile environment.<ref name=newsweek/> A 2013 ''[[IGN]]'' article and video listed 2b2t's spawn area as one of the six best things in ''Minecraft'', describing the server as the "end boss" of ''Minecraft'' servers, a celebration of destruction and indifference. The article noted 2b2t's propensity towards griefing, the use of hacked clients, and player-built obscenities; and stated that players with a thick skin should visit 2b2t at least once.<ref name=ign/><ref name="ignvideo">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qun-6zB1zws |title=6 of the Most Amazing Things in Minecraft |date=June 20, 2013 |website=[[YouTube]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231012724/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qun-6zB1zws |archive-date=December 31, 2013 |access-date=December 23, 2019}}</ref> Comparing the mannerisms of those on 2b2t to instances of [[religious violence]] in the real world, Katherine Apostolacus described the anarchic nature of 2b2t as how Minecraft was meant to be played. She described how a rich history has developed within the server since its founding, with the cataloguing of events within 2b2t finding an audience beyond those who have played on the server.<ref name=analogies/>


===Books===
===Books===
In ''Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development'', published by [[Pearson Education]] in June 2014, 2b2t was described as being a "barren hellscape", with its nature being the "ultimate expression of the core mechanic of the game." ''Minecraft'' is inherently an open-ended [[sandbox game]].<ref name="intro">{{Cite book |last=Gibson |first=Jeremy Gibson |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Introduction_to_Game_Design_Prototyping/zFAxDwAAQBAJ |title=Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development: From Concept to Playable Game with Unity and C# |date=June 19, 2014 |publisher=[[Pearson Education]] |isbn=9780134659886 |access-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206053135/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Introduction_to_Game_Design_Prototyping/zFAxDwAAQBAJ |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Ultimate Minecraft Creator'', published by ''[[Triumph Books]]'' in July 2014, described 2b2t nothing else in gaming, stating that despite 2b2t's offensive language and behavior, griefing, and cheating, the server can be fun for players who are not faint of heart or sensitive.<ref name="ultimatecreator">{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_Minecraft_Creator/zjNaCgAAQBAJ |title=The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games |date=July 1, 2014 |publisher=[[Triumph Books]] |isbn=9781633190368 |access-date=December 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206052528/https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_Minecraft_Creator/zjNaCgAAQBAJ |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In ''Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development'', published by [[Pearson Education]] in June 2014, 2b2t was described as being a "barren hellscape", with its nature being the "ultimate expression of the core mechanic of the game."<ref name="intro">{{Cite book |last=Gibson |first=Jeremy Gibson |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Introduction_to_Game_Design_Prototyping/zFAxDwAAQBAJ |title=Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development: From Concept to Playable Game with Unity and C# |date=June 19, 2014 |publisher=[[Pearson Education]] |isbn=9780134659886 |access-date=November 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206053135/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Introduction_to_Game_Design_Prototyping/zFAxDwAAQBAJ |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Ultimate Minecraft Creator'', published by ''[[Triumph Books]]'' in July 2014, described 2b2t as nothing else in gaming, stating that despite 2b2t's offensive language and behavior, griefing, and cheating, the server can be fun for players who are not faint of heart or sensitive.<ref name="ultimatecreator">{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_Minecraft_Creator/zjNaCgAAQBAJ |title=The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games |date=July 1, 2014 |publisher=[[Triumph Books]] |isbn=9781633190368 |access-date=December 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191206052528/https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Ultimate_Minecraft_Creator/zjNaCgAAQBAJ |archive-date=December 6, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>


{{Quote|text=This server is really like no other, and in fact, it's like no other thing in gaming. Because people cheat wildly, grief relentlessly and absolutely wreck the area for thousands of blocks around the spawn, 2b2t's landscape turns into a nightmare wasteland which you will probably not survive. Be warned: 2b2t is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive. You will die, people will attack you and wreck/steal whatever you have, and you will very likely run into some offensive language and behaviour here. That being said, it's an experience like no other and completely fun, if you're ready for what awaits you.|source=''The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games'' (July 1, 2014)}}
{{Quote|text=This server is really like no other, and in fact, it's like no other thing in gaming. Because people cheat wildly, grief relentlessly and absolutely wreck the area for thousands of blocks around the spawn, 2b2t's landscape turns into a nightmare wasteland which you will probably not survive. Be warned: 2b2t is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive. You will die, people will attack you and wreck/steal whatever you have, and you will very likely run into some offensive language and behaviour here. That being said, it's an experience like no other and completely fun, if you're ready for what awaits you.|source=''The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games'' (July 1, 2014)}}

Revision as of 03:35, 10 September 2020

2b2t
Initial releaseDecember 2010; 13 years ago (December 2010)[1][2]
PlatformMinecraft Java Edition 1.12.2[3]
TypeMinecraft server
Website2b2t.org (currently inactive; archived)

2builders2tools (2b2t) is a Minecraft server founded in December 2010.[1][2][4] 2b2t is the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft,[2] as well as one of the oldest running servers of any variety.[4] 2b2t's world is also one of the longest-running unaltered server maps in the game, which has never been reset since its creation.[5][6][7] Since the server has virtually no rules or authority, griefing[a] and hacking are common.[8][9][6][10] The server is set to "hard" difficulty, and player versus player combat is possible at all times and locations.[11] In October 2015, the server was reported to use almost 800 gigabytes of storage and cost US$90 a month to maintain.[6] As of July 2020, this has increased to more than 8 terabytes from over 510,000 unique players, according to the server's official subreddit sidebar.[7]

In the context of Minecraft, an "anarchy server" is understood as a multiplayer server with "scarce or no server-wide rules," though this definition is flexible. 2b2t is in part famous for its complete lack of regulation once in-game.[10]

History

An aerial render of 2b2t's spawn region as of July 2019, displaying severe amounts of destruction and modification carried out to the terrain
A render of 2b2t's spawn region as of July 2019. This render displays the severe amount of destruction and modification carried out to the terrain, including the removal of resources and the construction of large obsidian structures.

In a Rock, Paper, Shotgun article by Brendan Caldwell, 2b2t player James Rustles stated about 2b2t's origin:[9]

It used to be a Garry's Mod server, (...) The basic story is that this guy who ran the Garry's Mod server started a Minecraft server with the same premise – that you can do anything you want – and this was then given to one of his friends, who we know as Hausemaster.[9]

The 2b2t Minecraft server was founded in late December 2010.[1] The founders are anonymous[6], choosing to remain unknown or known only via usernames; the most prominent founder is commonly referred to as Hausemaster, HauseMaster, or Hausmaster.[2][4][10] After being asked by Vice journalist Andrew Paul via email, a founder of the server stated:

There was no main reason or big idea, it started out as any generic Minecraft test server in late 2010 where me and some friends played on to play the game [...] [A]fter a while we decided to open it up to see how much destruction could be made and started advertising it on various places on the internet.[6]

The server was advertised shortly after its creation on online forums such as Reddit, 4chan, and Facepunch Studios, whose users populated the server by the hundreds due to the anarchic freedom it offered.[6] Members from different forums launched raids against each other and their work on the server.[2] Although the founders no longer play Minecraft, the server remains online due to the large playerbase that had been formed.[6]

YouTuber 'TheCampingRusher' uploaded a YouTube video on June 1, 2016 of himself playing on the 2b2t server. This caused a massive influx of new players from the channel's audience.[2][4] A loose coalition of older players formed to oppose these new players. Although the new players largely outnumbered the older players at the time, these older players had years of experience and resources.[4] Some older players deterred new players by destroying the spawn-in area to make it uninhabitable and extremely challenging to proceed from.[2][4] Some built in-game contraptions designed solely to overload the server, with the intent of making it extremely difficult for TheCampingRusher and his fans to play.[4]

The sudden influx of new players overwhelmed the server and strained its hardware. A queue to enter the server was added in response. For some time, the queue gave earlier 2b2t players a priority over the newer players,[4] although this was removed after a year.[12][better source needed] Players can also pay $20 to access a separate, "priority" queue for one month.[4] The regular queue moves slowly and can stretch into the thousands of users.[2]

Culture

The culture of 2b2t has been described as "inhospitable" and "nihilistic".[2] Supplies must be hidden, players need to be armed, and should expect to be killed repeatedly.[2] This is exacerbated by the server being set to "hard" difficult, with player-versus-player combat enabled, meaning that survival is considerably more difficult.[11] Long-time players are often hostile to new players on the server, whom they call "newfags".[4] The server-wide chat often contains Nazi propaganda, racial slurs, and death threats.[2][9]

Traps are deliberately placed surrounding the area where players first join the server: pits of lava, areas lit on fire, and portals that lead to lava or enclosed areas of obsidian that force players to disconnect and reconnect, waiting through the entire queue again.[2][9] Some players create large obstacles called "lava casts", in which water and lava are repeatedly poured down staircases of stone, creating mountains of jagged stone.[9] There have also been "spawn incursions", in which dozens of players come together to take control of spawn for a time, in order to build a large base, kill many new players, or destroy other bases.[9] Inexperienced players may need dozens of attempts to escape the spawn area due to terrain alone, not even considering the high probability of being killed by another player.[9] Roisin Kiberd of Newsweek said that enduring the challenge may be part of the appeal of 2b2t; since nobody survives for long, there is a pride in having died there.[2]

Experienced players reside far away from the spawn area in relative safety to play the game and build,[2] meaning the map is nicer further away from spawn.[11] The server has no etiquette regarding ownership; anything that is built belongs to them until another player finds and destroys it.[4] Despite the culture of hostility and destruction, every April Fools' Day there is an event where the server changes to a custom map for a few days and players befriend or trust one other.[9]

Players often use a "hacked client", which is an altered version of Minecraft featuring abilities that are not in the unmodified game client, such as X-ray vision and improved bow aim.[9][2] These clients are viewed as necessary to navigate the environment, with popular mods granting radar and the ability to see through walls.[9][2] New players without these clients are at a disadvantage.[9]

Reception

News media

2b2t is known as "the worst Minecraft server", according to Robert Guthrie of Kotaku[4] and Andrew Paul of Vice, who described the server as a "fantastical world of possibility and horror."[6] Brendan Caldwell of Rock, Paper, Shotgun described 2b2t as the game's "most obscene server."[9] In June 2012, Craig Pearson of PCGamesN called it Minecraft's most offensive server, noting 2b2t's callousness and obscenity in the form of language, swastikas, and its hostile player base.[11] In 2013, a PCGamesN article by Jeremy Peel announced Minecraft's built-in server hosting service, Minecraft Realms, and mentioned that it would keeping children away from 2b2t, an implication of the server's unsafe environment.[13] In 2014, Tim Edwards wrote in a PCGamesN article addressing Microsoft about their purchase of Minecraft, suggesting that they shouldn't get "prissy" about player-made creations, stating that "2b2t is still an amazing achievement, with or without the swastikas."[14]

Roisin Kiberd in Newsweek described 2b2t as a malevolent form of Minecraft, a place of beauty and terror. Kiberd called the server "hell", stating that it is "not safe for life", as the server gives "free rein to your darkest impulses." Kiberd concluded that the main appeal of playing on the server comes from learning the possibilities of a server with few limits, as well as enduring its hostile environment.[2] A 2013 IGN article and video listed 2b2t's spawn area as one of the six best things in Minecraft, describing the server as the "end boss" of Minecraft servers, a celebration of destruction and indifference. The article noted 2b2t's propensity towards griefing, the use of hacked clients, and player-built obscenities; and stated that players with a thick skin should visit 2b2t at least once.[8][15] Comparing the mannerisms of those on 2b2t to instances of religious violence in the real world, Katherine Apostolacus described the anarchic nature of 2b2t as how Minecraft was meant to be played. She described how a rich history has developed within the server since its founding, with the cataloguing of events within 2b2t finding an audience beyond those who have played on the server.[10]

Books

In Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development, published by Pearson Education in June 2014, 2b2t was described as being a "barren hellscape", with its nature being the "ultimate expression of the core mechanic of the game."[16] The Ultimate Minecraft Creator, published by Triumph Books in July 2014, described 2b2t as nothing else in gaming, stating that despite 2b2t's offensive language and behavior, griefing, and cheating, the server can be fun for players who are not faint of heart or sensitive.[17]

This server is really like no other, and in fact, it's like no other thing in gaming. Because people cheat wildly, grief relentlessly and absolutely wreck the area for thousands of blocks around the spawn, 2b2t's landscape turns into a nightmare wasteland which you will probably not survive. Be warned: 2b2t is not for the faint of heart or the sensitive. You will die, people will attack you and wreck/steal whatever you have, and you will very likely run into some offensive language and behaviour here. That being said, it's an experience like no other and completely fun, if you're ready for what awaits you.

— The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games (July 1, 2014)

Master Builder 3.0 Advanced and Ultimate Guide to Mastering Minigames and Servers, published by Triumph Books in April 2015 and April 2016 respectively, both stated that 2b2t "sits among online royalty when it comes to public [Minecraft] servers."[18][19]

Renders

An aerial render of 2b2t's spawn region as of late 2017, displaying the various layers of spawn with progressive destruction proceeding inwards toward the center of the world
A render of 2b2t's spawn region as of late 2017. This render displays the various layers of spawn with progressive destruction proceeding inwards toward the center of the world.
A render from the same perspective as of February 2020, displaying how the destruction of the spawn area has greatly increased over time
A render from the same perspective as of February 2020. This render displays how the destruction of the spawn area has greatly increased over time.
A render of 2b2t's spawn region as of June 2019. This provides an alternative side view in isometric projection of the above render.

Notes

  1. ^ In this context, griefing refers to the act of destroying or vandalizing other players' creations without permission.

References

  1. ^ a b c "2b2t.org". Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Kiberd, Roisin (September 15, 2016). "The Minecraft Server That Will Kill You 1,000 Times". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "2b2t.org 1.12.2 Minecraft Server". Minecraft Server List. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Guthrie, Robert (September 23, 2016). "The Denizens of Minecraft's 'Worst' Server Are At War With YouTube". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  5. ^ Peng, Mei (October 19, 2019). "4 Oldest Minecraft Servers And Why They Matter". Culture. Celebs Pulse. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Paul, Andrew (October 5, 2015). "The Worst Place in Minecraft". Tech. Vice. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Official website sidebar". Reddit. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Craig (June 20, 2013). "The 6 Most Amazing Things I've Seen in Minecraft". IGN. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Caldwell, Brendan (February 29, 2016). "Ridealong: The Ruin Of Minecraft's Most Obscene Server". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  10. ^ a b c d Apostolacus, Katherine (December 12, 2016). "Analogies of Religious Violence in Minecraft: A Case Study of 2b2t". Academia.edu. Archived from the original on November 24, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.[unreliable source?]
  11. ^ a b c d Pearson, Craig (June 3, 2012). "2b2t photodiary: Inside Minecraft's most offensive server". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  12. ^ 2b2t (October 12, 2017). "Upcoming changes, website, queue to be reworked and 'pre 1st-june' list to be deleted, and some other information". Reddit. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Peel, Jeremy (March 14, 2013). "Minecraft Realms is a subscription service for families that will "bring in more money than the game itself"". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on July 19, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  14. ^ Edwards, Tim (October 22, 2014). "Dear Microsoft: about that Minecraft deal". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on July 12, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  15. ^ "6 of the Most Amazing Things in Minecraft". YouTube. June 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  16. ^ Gibson, Jeremy Gibson (June 19, 2014). Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development: From Concept to Playable Game with Unity and C#. Pearson Education. ISBN 9780134659886. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  17. ^ The Ultimate Minecraft Creator: The Unofficial Building Guide to Minecraft and Other Games. Triumph Books. July 1, 2014. ISBN 9781633190368. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  18. ^ Master Builder 3.0 Advanced: Minecraft®™ Secrets and Strategies from the Game's Greatest Players. Triumph Books. April 1, 2015. pp. 43, 49. ISBN 9781633191884. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  19. ^ Ultimate Guide to Mastering Minigames and Servers: Minecraft Secrets to the World's Best Servers and Minigames. Triumph Books. April 5, 2016. ISBN 9781629372334. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
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