Microsoft has bought Minecraft’s maker, the Swedish company Mojang, for $2.5 billion.

Minecraft, which has sold over 54 million copies, allows players to build structures with retro Lego-style blocks, as well as explore a large map and battle others.

The deal was announced by Xbox chief Phil Spencer.

Mojang, whose three founders will leave the company, assured fans that “everything is going to be OK”.

Some analysts have speculated the deal is designed to attract more users to Microsoft’s Windows Phone devices.

The acquisition comes a year after Microsoft bought the Finnish mobile phone company Nokia.

Minecraft is one of the top-selling apps on both Apple’s iOS store and Android’s Google Play, and has recently been released for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, further boosting sales.

Last month, it was the third most popular console game, according to market research firm NPD Group, despite being on sale for a while.

Mojang which was founded in 2009, brought in over $100 million in profit in 2013, and employs about 40 people.

Microsoft has bought Minecraft’s maker for $2.5 billion

Microsoft said the Mojang team would join its game studio, which is responsible for titles such as Halo, Forza and Fable.

The tech giant’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, said: “Minecraft is more than a great game franchise – it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft.”

Mojang’s founder, Markus “Notch” Persson, has previously criticized Microsoft, and commented to Reuters that the market for Windows phones was “tiny” and not worth developing apps for.

Minecraft has a large and enthusiastic cult following, many of whom have reacted angrily to what they see as a corporate takeover of a communally-spirited independent company.

Others expressed concerns about whether fans would be able to exhibit their skills.

However, some enthusiasts made the point that Microsoft could devote larger resources to upgrading and expanding the game.

In a statement, Microsoft said it would maintain Minecraft across all its existing platforms, with a “commitment to nurture and grow it long into the future”.

Microsoft added that the acquisition was expected to be concluded by the end of 2014.

In an announcement confirming the deal on its website, Mojang reassured gamers, saying: “Please remember that the future of Minecraft and you – the community – are extremely important to everyone involved. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be that.”

Last month, Amazon bought Twitch, a site which allows users to watch other people play video games, for $970 million.

[youtube TpQ7ZHFtL6o 650]

Minecraft’s developer, Mojang, is in talks to be taken over by Microsoft, according to reports.

It has been suggested that Mojang might sell for more than $2 billion.

In June, the Swedish studio said it had sold about 54 million copies of its hit world-building game. Since then it has also been released for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, further boosting sales.

Mojang’s founder, Markus “Notch” Persson has previously publicly criticized Microsoft.

Ahead of the release of the Windows 8 operating system, Notch Persson had claimed that the company was “trying to ruin the PC as an open platform” because it had wanted to certify third-party titles before their release.

Notch Persson had also been a vocal supporter of independent studios, saying in 2012 that: “The more studios that can remove themselves from the publisher system, the more games that will be made out of love rather than for profit.”

Minecraft’s developer, Mojang, is in talks to be taken over by Microsoft

According to Bloomberg, it was Markus Persson who “reached out” to Microsoft a few months ago.

It said that a source suggested that if the deal went through, Notch Persson would help with the transition, but was unlikely to stay on afterwards.

The New York Times reported that a person briefed on the talks had said that Markus Persson was expected to leave within six months, but added that Mojang was keen to hold on to its younger developers.

A spokesman for Microsoft said: “We don’t comment on rumor and speculation.”

Mojang also declined to comment.

Minecraft was first released in 2011, and has since become the third bestselling game of all time and something of a cultural phenomenon.

Mojang has worked on other titles, but they have either fallen short of Minecraft’s success – such as the role-playing game (RPG) Scrolls.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report negotiations between Mojang and Microsoft, saying that the deal could be finalized this week.

It noted that this would be the first multibillion acquisition by Microsoft’s chief executive, Satya Nadella, since he took charge of the company.