Inspired by games like Infiniminer, Dwarf Fortress, and Dungeon Keeper, Persson began developing a sandbox building game.

Persson released the initial alpha version of Minecraft to the public. It was free to play and largely focused on creative building. This early version quickly garnered a following online.

Continued development of Minecraft, adding features like survival mode, crafting, and monsters. The game transitioned to a paid beta phase.

Persson, along with Jakob Porsér and Carl Manneh, founded Mojang AB to manage the development and business aspects of Minecraft.

Minecraft officially released out of beta, marking a major milestone in the game's development and solidifying its status as a global phenomenon. The launch took place at MineCon 2011.

Mojang continued to update Minecraft with new content, features, and platforms. The game expanded to consoles, mobile devices, and various other platforms, further increasing its reach and popularity.