New Minecraft addon simulates multiplayer without friends or internet

Gamemode One, an official Mojang partner, has announced AI Players, an add-on that fills a single-player Minecraft world with bots behaving like real players. The multiplayer illusion works entirely offline, with no internet connection needed.

Normally, playing together requires a server, a Realm subscription, a local network, or an online invitation. In 2026, Mojang even added a friends list and peer-to-peer connections for Java Edition, making it easier for real people to join.

AI Players goes the opposite direction. Instead of making it simpler for actual players to connect, the add-on fills the world with something that just mimics another person's presence.

The trailer shows a player opening a "Manage Current AI Players" menu using a handheld gadget. The menu lists different characters, skins, and usernames styled like typical server nametags.

Bots can be invited into the world individually or banned through a separate moderation menu. Once invited, they show up with names like SpookySeven2224, EngineeredClone, Kipper, and GODLYCHICKEN.

Several of these characters can be active at once. In the trailer, they wander around, interact with each other, and gather near a campfire.

The bots mine resources, craft items, open chests, fight mobs, and explore on their own. That suggests they won't just be limited to following the real player around.

Despite the name, there's no generative AI or cloud-based LLM involved here. The developers clarified this in a reply to a comment.

it's called AI Players but it's made by humans.

The studio added that the bots run on traditional game AI, similar to how regular Minecraft mobs behave. That's exactly what lets these simulated players function without an active internet connection.

It also sets AI Players apart from experiments like the working ChatGPT-style chatbot built earlier inside the game itself using redstone.

The add-on will launch on the Minecraft Marketplace, meaning it will be available for Bedrock Edition. Marketplace add-ons like this modify existing worlds without requiring traditional Java mod installation.

Gamemode One hasn't revealed a release date or price yet.