Minecraft can seem like a simple game of building blocks to the casual observer, but the community repeatedly proves time and again just how far the tools can stretch. Over the years, players have recreated fantasy worlds, real landmarks, and even entire neighborhoods.
Dedicated team called Build the Earth went even further than that, and after five years of work, they recreated New York City's Manhattan in Minecraft at a true 1:1 scale.
Minecraft builders team up to recreate New York City
YouTuber MineFact showcased the finished project by team Build the Earth in a video that premiered on Jan 11, 2026. The team obsessed over details, with balconies featuring tiny flower pots placed exactly where they existed in real life on Google Street View.
"Over the years, we realized how much details matter," MineFact explained. "Like when a random guy from New York City logs in and finds his flower pot on his balcony exactly where it is in real life. That's when you know it's worth it. Their reactions are always priceless."
The build covered major areas of Manhattan. These included the World Trade Center, Tribeca, Two Bridges, Little Italy, and Chinatown. Meanwhile, work expanded into Brooklyn and Queens through community participation.
However, the process was rarely smooth. The learning curve proved "brutal," according to MineFact. Early sections were rebuilt multiple times because the team’s standards kept rising. As he put it, much of the early work "doesn’t even exist anymore."
The project began during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, the Build the Earth initiative invited players to recreate the entire planet at a 1:1 scale. Eventually, MineFact’s team chose New York City and jumped in with little guidance.
They faced technical problems along the way. For instance, elevation data initially didn’t exist, so Manhattan started completely flat. Later, builders manually adjusted terrain using detailed mapping tools, which took hundreds of hours.
Reactions ranged from impressed to chaotic
After the video circulated, reactions on social media quickly followed, with many viewers expressing awe at the commitment required.
"Building this is impressive on its own," @0xChar wrote. "But cross checking all the time to make it a 1:1 copy is insanity."
Others focused on the technical limitations. "crazy considering you cant use AI in minecaft," @Jeremybtc posted. (Though really, that isn't the point of the project, but rather the dedication and satisfaction of creating something.)
Some comments leaned into internet humor. @AutismCapital joked, "This is some weapons grade autism. Someone hire this King." Meanwhile, @TGuy902 added, "I can hear the pained cries of 10,000 GPUs at the prospect of running this map."
@RafaelV28960595 noted, "For those who dont know, this is part of a project named BuildTheEarth, [...] and the objective is to build the Earth on 1:1 scale in minecraft. This was made by a team of builders over the years and many more cities are being built."
"1:1 scale and it’s [mostly] just lower Manhattan," @yahoelovedaj wrote, "which is still very impressive, btw."
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