Minecraft China

VS

AFK Journey

Minecraft China is a localized, free-to-play version of Minecraft published by NetEase since 2017 with support from major publishers and regular content updates. It caters to a massive Chinese player base, widely reported to have tens of millions of total users, with conservative DAP estimates around several hundred thousand to over a million. Its open-world/sandbox model encourages ongoing engagement, especially in China, where it is a top online game. However, it is not a traditional MMO as it lacks a single persistent world with thousands of simultaneous players in one space.

AFK Journey, developed by Farlight Games, is a recently released cross-platform fantasy idle RPG with gacha and adventure elements. The game has generated significant hype post-launch, especially among mobile and casual strategy communities, and leverages the popularity of its predecessor, AFK Arena. Recent mobile downloads and community activity suggest strong daily engagement, likely in the hundreds of thousands. Given its cross-platform support and gacha monetization, retention is high at launch. However, it does not qualify as an MMO despite some open-world and multiplayer features, as it lacks a persistent large-scale shared world.