We've been so busy over the last couple of months, with AutCon and more, that we didn't even realize that we blew passed 21,000 registered players. In fact, the list is now over 21,100! We can't thank you all enough for the continued support and we look forward to playing with more Minecrafters into the future! If you would like to join, or register your child, go to autcraft.com If you would like more information about the server, go to autcraft.info #autism #Minecraft

AutCon 2026! This year an in person AutCon is being held in England on the 23rd, while at the same time, players on the server can attend our AutCon area filled with lots to see, lots of mazes, games, and of course, collectables to find. Also, all players who sign onto the server on the 23rd (any time that day) will get an exclusive AutCon 2026 head that can't be obtained any other way or any other time. We try to find a bit of a balance since we know not everyone can make it to the live meet up in England, we give special items to those on the server that day. Those at the event may miss out on the collectables but they get to meet up for a day of fun together. Either which way, we can't wait to see you at AutCon!

While Autcraft runs on the kindness of donations, and we don't make much, we still believe that those who help us get where we are deserve to be paid/supported. That includes @WinRAR_RARLAB. We use WinRAR just about every day for our server logs and more. They deserve to be paid.

"Every person deserves to be treated with dignity" is a very harmful thing to say to someone when it's followed by a very clear lack of dignity towards you because of who you are. #autism #lgbtq #pride #neurodiversity

Feeling safe isn't just about being protected from bullies, it's knowing you can make mistakes, and not be punished or laughed at. It's knowing the people around you care. It's knowing you won't be judged for who you are. It's about finally being able to be yourself.

People ask what makes Autcraft different from other Minecraft servers. They expect rules, or plugins, or hardware to be the answer. That's not it at all. Autcraft is a server for autistic people, run by autistic people and their families. You must register to get access and we watch closely to ensure safety. We encourage families to play together, for safety reasons and unique bonding experiences. We make accommodations for unique autism needs. We build calm rooms, add line spaces, slow down the chat, build systems to encourage team work and friendships. We work with players, and in some cases, their parents, to help players do better, and to learn. We don't just ban people when they become a "problem". We see problem behaviors, not problem players. We encourage people to be their best selves and reward them for who they are and how they treat others, not for their abilities or skill levels. We cooperate, never compete. We don't automate, we're there, 24/7. We talk to players. We mute to prevent angry players from saying something they might regret, or to have others view them negatively, never to punish. If we do mute, we take the time to talk about it. We treat each other with respect and kindness. We absolutely do not tolerate bullying or toxicity. Autism makes us different. Autistic people are what makes Autcraft different. #autism #Minecraft #kindness #respect #differences #family #gaming #server

Cutting teens off from the Internet can prove to be more harmful than beneficial, imo. Bans and restrictions aren't the answer. Education and better moderation can help children blossom and find support in places that they never could otherwise. sciencepolitics.org/2026/07/…

This is what I hope for. I'm happy to reach people who can benefit from @AutCraft, but inspiring people to do more is my true goal. It doesn't have to be big, it just has to help. The more people who do that, the larger the impact it will have.

Some people still believe the outdated notion that bullying makes you stronger, or that it's a "right of passage." This is not true and has been proven false time and time again through research and science. The truth is that bullying causes an increase in suicides, emotionally stunted adults, abusive parents, and more. Bullying causes trauma, not testosterone. Forcing a child to endure bullying is torture, not parenting. Source: psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/…

It says a lot that some people see pride photos on a Minecraft server and assume that I, a straight man, built the server specifically to try to "turn children to gay". This not only shows a lot of ignorance, since you can't "turn someone gay", but it also makes a lot of wild assumptions about my intentions, who LGBTQ+ people even are, and the whole process of how things ever come to be to begin with. Autcraft has over 20,000 players, ages ranging from 6 to over 60. It stands to reason that some of those players would be among the LGBTQ+ population. Those players, as part of Pride month and Pride celebrations, requested to make an area that represents and celebrates who they are, in a safe way... much the same way that Autcraft itself represents and celebrates autistic people in a safe way. Of course, I said yes! It's a bunch of buildings, made by the community, in a separate area, much like our Halloween Town is, and just like our Christmas Village. These are places you can go to if you want to, or not if you don't want to. I will always support people for who they are, whether autistic or not, LGBTQ+ or not, and if you are a hateful person, I will even support you too, but in a separate area, that people don't have to go to if they don't want to. You don't want me to force Pride on people, then please don't force your hatred on us. Autcraft is a safe space for the autistic LGBTQ+ community and always will be.

For those who don't know me, I created Autcraft, a Minecraft server for autistic people to play Minecraft without fear of bullying. The server has been in the news/social media a lot, especially in 2026, but the more people you reach, the more hate you will find. Some people simply can't believe bullying even still exists today and yet, all you need to do is read the comments. All I am trying to do is let people play a game without being afraid. All I've ever wanted to do is help people. Apparently that attracts hate too. For many of the kids I talk to, they don't understand what they did wrong, or what they did to deserve so much hate. To them I say... you did nothing wrong. You did nothing to deserve it. If people can hate me for doing a good thing, then they can hate anybody for any reason. Toxicity, hate, and cruelty is a reflection on those people, not you. They have the problem, not you. Don't take it personally, don't let it hurt you. Instead, let it open your eyes to the terrible human beings that those people are. If a hater can hate me for helping you, then they can and will hate anybody for anything. And that should tell you everything you need to know. Ignore the haters and in the end, you can be happy while they continue being miserable. Stay strong. Keep being you. Don't ever late those hateful people take that away. ❤️

"Did he have to quit his job to start a Minecraft server?" Initially? No. I was a web developer and ran Autcraft together from 2013 to 2015 but eventually the demands became too much. For 2 years, I did do both. The busier it got, I had to choose one or the other. The Autcraft community offered to start donating to support me and the server via Patreon. "Must be nice to not have to pay bills." Oh I still have bills, higher bills than I had then because now I have a hosting bill, many domain names, subscriptions to many services to keep it running, and I make less money than I did before. To this day, I live paycheck to paycheck but knowing some people are alive today because that server is there makes it worth it. "I wish I could quit my job and just play video games all day." You think I play? I haven't had time to "play" Minecraft in years. - I monitor the server every moment I'm awake - I manage a team of 30+ amazing volunteers - I plan and organize events all year - I check every application - I contact parents when their children struggle or to tell them how amazing their kids are - I write code for the plugins - I fix issues - I keep the server updated - I do interviews (news, podcasts, etc) - I give presentations, TED Talk, Games for Change, etc - I design in game items - I manage our social media - I find new ways to add accessibility and accommodations, some were added to the core game (line spaces, chat delay) - so much more I work 14-18 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 13+ years now, without a day off. New Years, I do fireworks for 20 hours straight. Christmas, I am on for 24 hours to make sure every player around the world gets a gift from me personally. Yes, I had to quit my job. No, I'm not rich. No, I don't play video games all day. Autistic people, many as young as 6, need people there who will talk to them, make them feel seen and understood, who will keep them safe, and help them make friends, be a friend, and gain confidence. I didn't just turn on the server and walk away. That's why Autcraft works. I'm not sure why so many people focus on this part of my story so much but I hope this answers some questions.

First, let us just say that this "private servers are illegal" thing is a bogus statement, a bogus argument, and... a sort of legitament concern? While it is true that being able to create private servers can have harmful consequences, such as those that are setup to scam children out of their money, or radicalize people into hate groups... there can also be some positive consequences as well. Namely, Autcraft! We would like to address this one statement in particular: "This could create an unsafe environment for players and be counter to the industry's commitment to fostering a safe and fun game play for all players" If this was true, then why was Autcraft necessary? Why is QueerCraft necessary? Why is Blocklandia necessary? It's not because there are bad servers out there, it's because there are bad PEOPLE out there. And the industry's standards are failing at protecting us from them. If we could just go to industry designed servers and play safely, we would. But that isn't out there for disabled people, neurodivergent people, LGBTQ+ people... the "industry standard" isn't about safety, it's about control and money. When Autcraft is posted about on social media, there's almost always comments from people saying something along the lines of "it's crazy that one father was able to do what all of those corporations couldn't." The premise of "private servers being illegal" is the same as States that make collecting rain water in barrels illegal. It's out there, it's available, it's free, but it means that the States can't control it and they can't make as much money from it, so they pass a law making it illegal to force you to buy theirs. That's all this is. It is not about safety. It's not about industry standards. It's money, and it's control. If giving autistic people a safe space to finally feel seen, accepted, and confident is illegal, then lock us up. It'll be the only way you stop us. @StopKilingGames #Minecraft #servers #autism

Here's something I think about often: On Autcraft: - we have players from the Ukraine as well as from Russia. - We have players from Hong Kong as well as China. - We have very religious players who do not agree with Pride and we have many players who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community - We have rich players and we have poor players - We have players as young as 6 and some that are over 60. - We have some players that are 8 but you'd think they were 28, and other players who are 28 but you'd think they were 8. Physical age does not matter. - No one knows nor cares what a player's IRL skin colour is For the most part, players exist peacefully, even accepting and supporting each other, not just despite our differences but because of our differences. The few times we ever do have issues, any time a player has any sort of issue with any other group of players, it almost always stems from "my parents told me..." Autcraft works because online, our differences are often stripped down to our core personalities, or, who we are. Our appearance or location or social status or gender identity or sexual identity or our religion/political beliefs do not matter. Autcraft works because many of us have been able to overcome the hate that was taught to us and recognize how much better off we are when we accept each other and work together. With over 20,500 people from all around the world on Autcraft (not all at once but overall), playing together, becoming friends... it's a real example of what is capable when prejudice is removed from the equation.

Autcraft was created on June 23rd, 2013, which makes today our 13th anniversary! In that time we've added over 20,500 players to the whitelist, been the subject of a TED Talk, and included in another, we've been in Time Magazine, spoke at Games for Change, we're in the official The World of Minecraft book by Mojang, and so much more. All players who sign on today will get the special 13th Anniversary Player head and you can collect the beautiful 13th Anniversary map art at /spawn. ted.com/talks/stuart_duncan_… ted.com/talks/agnes_larsson_… autcraft.com/forum/topic/248… piped.video/watch?v=71HzZpu8… amazon.com/World-Minecraft-M… #autism #Minecraft #Anniversary #community #safespace #autistic

The amount of homophobia in the comment sections on some of these posts is alarming, and a stark reminder of why we need to keep these kids safe. Pride isn't about education, or an agenda, it's about allowing a human being to exist peacefully, without shame, and without fear. The homophobes who spout lies, and accusations, and attacks, threaten their mental as well as their physical well-being. By offering autistic children a safe space, and more so, autistic lgbtq+ people a safe space, we can support and encourage those people to be more self confident, to be proud of who they are, and to go out into the world to better handle the hate that they will inevitably face by people like those in the comments. As for the commenters who immediately assume that a safe space for children can only ever be used for grooming, really do tell the world a lot about who they are. In their minds, it's the only reason that they'd do it, and that should worry anyone who knows them. instagram.com/p/DZ0VzkNjkY7

I get wanting to keep children under 13 offline... it's not the best way to go about it, in my opinion, but I get it. But 16? At age 16, kids are going through some of the most dramatic, traumatic, drastic changes of their life. Aside from just puberty and high school and all of the terribleness of that alone, many kids also are disabled, discovering their sexuality, trying to figure out who they are, trying to decide if they should come out of the closet, some of those people are being abused by their parents... many of those kids have no friends. Most of those kids find support online. They find adults who have been there, and they find other kids going through the same things. Most of all, what makes the biggest difference, is that they find that they're not alone. Cutting millions of kids off from their lifelines at what is arguably the most formidable years of their life, making all of them feel more alone than they've ever felt in their life when they've needed someone the most... is going to have serious consequences. I've devoted my life to keeping kids on my server safe. I go to stupid lengths to do that. Some would argue too far. But I'd never do this. Because this, to me, isn't safety. This is just putting millions of kids in a different kind of danger. What's worse is the handling of it. We've already had to tell literally dozens of kids that they've done nothing wrong, because they don't understand why the one place they've felt safe has now suddenly silenced them. Kids will die because of this. That's not keeping them safe.