Microsoft confirms it has bought popular game 'Minecraft' in a deal worth $2.5 billion

Minecraft founder Markus Persson has sold his hugely popular game to Microsoft.

The announcement was made on Microsoft's official Xbox blog, and reports claim the software giant paid $2.5 billion (£1.5 billion) for Persson's company Mojang, which includes rights to the game.

And, once the deal is finalised, Persson has announced he will leave the company.

'Today is an incredibly exciting day for our team as Mojang and the Minecraft franchise join Microsoft,' explained Phil Spencer, head of Xbox.