The death of Minecraft YouTuber Technoblade last week after a year-long struggle with cancer drew an outpouring of tributes from fellow streamers and Minecraft content creators. Shortly thereafter, Minecraft studio Mojang also paid its respects to the streamer by making a subtle but important change to the Minecraft Java Edition loading screen.
Mojang tweeted its own tribute to Technoblade on July 1, when his death was first announced.
We have been trying to find the words, but all of us here at Minecraft are heartbroken over the loss of Technoblade. He meant so much to our community and brought so much joy. He will be missed dearly. 🐷👑🗡️July 1, 2022
"We have been trying to find the words, but all of us here at Minecraft are heartbroken over the loss of Technoblade," the studio wrote. "He meant so much to our community and brought so much joy. He will be missed dearly."
Not long after that, Minecraft fans began noticing a more unique and lasting tribute to Technoblade on the Minecraft Java Edition loading page: A previously nondescript pig in the background of the scene is now wearing a crown, a quiet but unmistakable nod to Technoblade's famed crowned pig avatar and YouTube icon.
It's not clear at this point whether the change will be permanent, although I expect it will be. The Minecraft community is extremely pleased by the change: The tweet about the change from the Techno Updates account has so far attracted more than 237,000 likes.
There’s been an update to the Minecraft launcher ❤️ pic.twitter.com/wdKU3okOezJuly 2, 2022