2builders2tools is a Minecraftmultiplayer server founded in December 2010. 2b2t is the oldest anarchy server in Minecraft, as well as one of the oldest running servers of any variety. 2b2t's world is also one of the longest-running unaltered server maps in the game, which has never been reset since its creation. Since the server has virtually no rules or authority, griefing and hacking are common. In October 2015, the server was reported to take up over 800 gigabytes of storage and cost $90 a month to maintain. As of July 2020, this has increased to 8,376 gigabytes from over 510,000 unique players, according to the server's owner. 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.
History
In a Rock, Paper, Shotgun article by Brendan Caldwell, a 2b2t player and blogger named James Rustles, stated about 2b2t's origin: The 2b2t Minecraft server was founded in late December 2010; the owner is anonymous and thought to be Swedish, but is commonly referred to as Hausemaster, HauseMaster, Hausmaster, or Housemaster. The server was advertised shortly after its creation in online forums such as Reddit and 4chan. Members from the Facepunch Studios forum joined the server and established bases after a forum post in April 2011. Members from different forums launched raids against each other and their work. 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 Rusher's channel. A queue to enter the server was soon added. For some time, the queue gave older 2b2t players a priority over the newer players, although this was removed after a year. Players can also pay $20 to access the priority queue for one month.
Reception
News media
The server is considered by many to be the worstMinecraft server, including Robert Guthrie of Kotaku and Andrew Paul of Vice, who described the server as a "fantastical world of possibility and horror." Brendan Caldwell of Rock, Paper, Shotgun described 2b2t as the game's most obscene server. Craig Pearson of PCGamesN called it Minecrafts most offensive server, noting 2b2t's callousness and obscenity in the form of language, swastikas, and its hostile player base. Another PCGamesN article by Jeremy Peel announced Minecraft Realms in 2013. He stated that it would be simple and safe, keeping children away from 2b2t, an implication of the server's complex and unsafe nature. 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." Roisin Kiberd on both The Independent and 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 having endured its hostile environment. 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. 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 cataloging of events within 2b2t finding an audience beyond those who have played on the server.
Books
In Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development, published by Pearson Education in June 2014, 2b2t was described by this book as being a "barren hellscape." The server's nature was described as being the "ultimate expression of the core mechanic of the game." In The Ultimate Minecraft Creator, published in July 2014, 2b2t was described as being "not for the faint of heart or the sensitive." In Master Builder 3.0 Advanced, published in April 2015, 2b2t was described as crazy, stating that it can get "outright wild," and that the server is a "nightmare wasteland." The book also stated that the server is known as "online royalty" among Minecraft servers. Ultimate Guide to Mastering Minigames and Servers, published in April 2016, also mentioned 2b2t, although the book had information copied from Master Builder 3.0 Advanced.
