MindCrack Ultra Hardcore

Fandom
Name:	Mindcrack UHC
Abbreviation(s):
Creator:	Guude, VintageBeef
Date(s):	February 22, 2012 - Present
Medium:	Minecraft Server(s), MCYT
Country of Origin:
External Links:
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Mindcrack Ultra Hardcore is a series of UHCs played by Mindcrackers and guests. The series started in 2012 with the creation of UHCs as a Minecraft minigame. Each UHC season was recorded on one day and then divided into 20 or 30 minute long episodes. These episodes were usually not edited beyond adding an intro at the start, which was the same for all participants per season. For each season, the episodes were then later posted on YouTube, one episode posted by all participants every other day.

Mindcrack UHCs after 2020 are not prerecorded, but instead livestreamed on Twitch. Additionally, some UHCs are livestreamed for charity, however these are not considered canon for statistics due the ability for stream viewers to redeem in-game items and effects for players when they donate to the charity. These items or effects can buff or harm the players significantly. The first live charity UHC, dubbed #ForTheKids, was played during the second Mindcrack Marathon in September 2014.

Fandom

Due to each season being recorded on a single day and the videos being released afterwards in a staggered fashion, prerecorded UHCs were usually quite large events in the Mindcrack fandom. Sometimes, new seasons were hinted at or hyped up by Mindcrackers for days before the first episode came out. The release of the first episode of each season was received by fans with a lot of enthusiasm, as it signaled that there would be exciting videos releases for multiple weeks. The video release period of UHC seasons meant that episodes were posted every other day, up to 11 episodes per season. The whole fandom was involved in watching the UHCs, as due to the large amount of participants it was likely that every fan's favorite Mindcracker(s) were participating.

Due to the prerecorded nature of the series before 2021, the fandom reaction was not able to influence UHCs as there were happening. All reactions to episodes would happen after the recording for each season had already concluded. This is a contrast to newer competitive Minecraft minigames such as the Life SMP Series, where each episode of a season is recorded and released weekly.

On the Mindcrack subreddit, each episode had its own thread that compiled the perspectives of all participants and listed them according to their teams. The threads allowed spoilers for the episodes in the comments, so they became a central hub for discussion within the fandom. For example, names for UHC teams were often proposed by fans there, with the highest upvoted names getting picked up by the fandom and Mindcrackers. However, this central hub, the competitive nature of the minigame and the associated hype were also a breeding ground for drama.

Resources

• Mindcrack Ultra Hardcore on the Mindcrack Wiki
• r/mindcrack