Minecraft ranks highly on every gaming platform. Since its launch in 2011 by Mojang, a Swedish game developer, recent stats indicate that 154 million copies have been sold worldwide. However, despite its growing popularity, especially after acquisition by Microsoft in 2014 at the cost of $2.5 billion, controversy about Minecraft gaming skins rages on. With this, the big question many people keep asking is this: Why does Minecraft forbid some skins?

The truth is that while it is a family-friendly game, allowing participation of kids as young 13 or below, server administrators often keep an eye on gamers’ activities, especially on their selection of skins. Skins that depict racism, for example, continue to generate heated debate, not only in Minecraft but also in other eSports games. In case you are researching for an essay about racism, or an essay about discrimination in general really, and looking for some essays examples on the subject, you may want to find more info on this. And after, not only you will be able to deliver a comprehensive paper, but you will appreciate a need to regulate the computer gaming industry even more than ever.



But before we get deep into the topic, let’s look at the basics.

What is skin in video games?

Well, whether you are an Overwatch addict, a CS:GO team member, a Minecraft expert or you fancy playing league of legends, skins have become popular add-ons in video games. But what they are, for some is the big question. Notably, though, they can turn a boring afternoon into an exciting discovery of so many things you didn’t know about Minecraft.

Definitively, skins, which are available within a game, are layers that a player can buy to advance to a new stage, customize a character, use as the armory and do many other things. Usually rare but valuable, skins get defined by color and texture. Moreover, depending on the type you need, you can unlock new ones as you advance to higher levels in a game or make a purchase using gems and gold.



In Minecraft, some of the most popular options are Teenager, Iron Creeper, Troll Face, Creeper, and Herobrine, Robocop, Captain America, Super Mario, Christiano Ronaldo, Gold Knight and Finn. Within a wide assortment, there are still some you are not allowed to use.

What are Forbidden/Offensive skins?

You may want to revisit the second paragraph of this post and learn more about racism, but when it comes to Minecraft skins such as black night, black lives matter, black tumbler girl, a rethink of the whole concept becomes necessary. Moreover, writing racism essays that, basically, explore racism in schools and linking them to Minecraft racist skins will help you understand how video games may promote racism.

Now, onto forbidden skins in Minecraft, it is for a purpose that those who manage gaming servers ban some players from taking part in their communities. A leading cause for such actions is when one uses a banned skin. They include: Osama Bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, nudity, Malice Steve and the ones strongly associated with politics.

Offensive skins: Why you should never use them

Every time you checked into a gaming forum, you must have come across threads of players complaining that they’ve been banned after using some skins in Minecraft. The truth is that such actions from server administrators do happen a lot, but after the issuance of several warnings. Offensive skins, as the name suggests, do not auger well with values that a community of developers upholds. It is often because of the following reasons:

• Skins that depict nudity are offensive and the fact that they trigger a reaction from server administrators is because most Minecraft players are minors. Come to think about it. You customize a character using a nudist skin, and a student who is only 13 years old uses it to play. It is harmful and exposes them to toxic content.
• Everyone Minecraft gamer would admit that they hate using Hitler or Stalin skins and it is for obvious reasons. They are people who are known to have committed so many atrocities against minorities during World War I. Therefore, using them betrays humanity and what the world stands for today.
• Playing with some skins go against counter-terrorism. Take, for example, Osama Bin Laden, which will get you banned instantly.
• You are also not allowed to use anything that represents strong political stands, mock sexuality, and those that are likely show religious prejudice. In a game loved by kids, such actions go against community standards.

The Bottom Line

In a nutshell, while skins are rewards to gamers as they advance to higher levels in Minecraft, not all of them are permissible. Now, having understood why offensive ones will get your account closed, make sure to choose carefully in your next session.