Microsoft and Mojang have come forward to confirm that Microsoft is acquiring Mojang and the Minecraft franchise for $2.5 billion.

Mojang took to its official blog to confirm the news, but wants to set the Minecraft community at ease, saying it will be business as usual.

However, it's also been confirmed that the founders - Markus "Notch" Persson, Carl Manneh and Jakob Porser - will all be leaving and won't be moving under the Microsoft umbrella.

But why is Minecraft selling when it has been phenomenally successful? Mojang explains, saying: "Minecraft has grown from a simple game to a project of monumental significance … it was never Notch's intention for it to get this big."

"There are only a handful of potential buyers with the resources to grow Minecraft on a scale that it deserves. We've worked closely with Microsoft since 2012, and have been impressed by their continued dedication to our game and its development. We're confident that Minecraft will continue to grow in an awesome way."

Microsoft, on the other hand, took the opportunity to remind us that Minecraft is the top played game on Xbox Live, but that development of Minecraft will continue across all platforms - iOS, Android, PlayStation as well as Xbox and PC.

"We're excited to welcome Mojang to the Microsoft family and we are thrilled to support the success and longevity of Minecraft for years to come," said Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, via the official blog.

"The Minecraft team's unique vision, creative energy and innovative mindset make them a perfect fit alongside our other global studios."