Last week, Microsoft was reported to be in talks to buy Mojang, the Swedish developer that created Minecraft, to ensure that the game was available for its family of devices. As of Monday, Microsoft agreed to buy the company for $2.5 billion. As part of the deal, Mojang employees will join Microsoft Studios, which already publishes games like the blockbuster Halo.

While Minecraft looks little like Halo, with its sophisticated high resolution graphics, the virtual world-building computer game, with its Lego-like pixel blocks, has a huge and dedicated following. Users have recreated both realistic and fantasy environments in the game. From the streets of Paris, to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, anything is possible, limited only by the imagination of the user.

Games remain one of the biggest and most profitable categories of apps, especially those for mobile devices. Adding Minecraft to its stable could create a boost for Microsoft’s Windows series of devices, including operating systems for phones and tablets.

“Gaming is a top activity spanning devices, from PCs and consoles to tablets and mobile, with billions of hours spent each year,” Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, said in a statement. “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.”

During the negotiations, Mojang creators were advised by JPMorgan Chase. Some of the most important objectives for the company were to ensure that the Minecraft community would be preserved and that younger developers at Mojang would have jobs after a deal.

While Minecraft looks to be a great acquisition for the tech and gaming giant, Mojang founders will be stepping down after the deal is complete later this year. Taking the lead in the negotiations was Carl Manneh, Mojang’s chief executive, who will leave along with his fellow co-founders, Markus Persson and Jakob Porser.