A post shared on Facebook claims the video game Minecraft will shut down on Dec. 21 this year.

Verdict: False

A community manager at Microsoft, which owns Minecraft, debunked the claim on Twitter. The claim originated on a prank news generator website.

Fact Check:

Facebook users reacted to the alleged news that the virtual brick-building video game Minecraft will shut down its servers in December 2020. One user said that she’s “crying now,” while another simply wrote, “Well, shit.”

Minecraft was originally released by Swedish video game studio Mojang but later purchased by Microsoft for $2.5 billion in 2014. The popular game has more than 112 million monthly users, according to Business Insider.

Helen Zbihlyj, a Microsoft community manager, debunked the claim as a “stupid hoax” on Twitter in early January.

Hey folks, I can confirm that Minecraft servers are NOT shutting down in 2020. It’s just a stupid hoax. Feel free to pass this along. pic.twitter.com/uHIqWOMsTR

— Helen Z writes you encoded messages ???? (@HelenAngel) January 2, 2020

“Hey folks, I can confirm that Minecraft servers are NOT shutting down in 2020,” Zbihiyj tweeted. “It’s just a stupid hoax. Feel free to pass this along.”

The story appears to have originated on Channel 45 News, a website that allows users to create their own headlines for the purpose of pranks. The article on that website features an image of a clown and encourages page visitors to “create a story & trick your friends!”

Minecraft Festival, a “blockstravaganza” event slated for September, got cancelled over concerns about the novel coronavirus on March 5.