2b2t's 80TB Map Compressed to 15TB Using Custom Format

A project to archive the entire map data of Minecraft’s oldest and most infamous anarchy server, “2b2t” (2builders2tools), has been successfully completed. According to a report by Zhiye Liu from Tom’s Hardware, the team managed to compress the over 80TB of world data into a 15TB downloadable file using a custom compression format called “.zvcr.” The project began in 2024 and was completed in April 2026.

Project Overview

The archive team operated 28 bot accounts to comprehensively map the vast world of the 2b2t server. Their scope covered all three dimensions: the Overworld, Nether, and End, spanning over 1 million blocks. Team members included crayne, Fuch, mahan, and Steve3.

After 22 months of work, the team succeeded in compressing 80TB of raw data into 15TB. Once the downloadable data is extracted, a complete 80TB archive can be restored.

What is 2b2t?

2b2t is a Minecraft server launched in 2010 and is distinguished by its complete lack of rules or moderation. There are no resets, and players are free to do absolutely anything. Over the years, countless updates and acts of destruction have drastically altered the server’s terrain.

Due to its unique history, the world data of 2b2t holds cultural significance within the Minecraft community. This archive project was undertaken to preserve the server in its original state before it undergoes any significant changes.

Custom Compression Format zvcr

The sheer size of the 80TB data posed a challenge for conventional storage solutions. To address this, the team developed a custom compression format called “.zvcr,” achieving an approximately 5.3x compression ratio.

While the technical details of the zvcr format have not been disclosed, it is presumed that the compression algorithm was optimized for the characteristics of Minecraft world data. Since Minecraft terrain data contains many repeated block types and patterns, it was possible to achieve higher efficiency compared to general-purpose compression methods.

Storage and Costs

Storing 80TB of data would require either eight 8TB M.2 SSDs or five 16TB SATA SSDs. For HDDs, three 36TB drives would be needed. The team is estimated to have spent several thousand dollars on storage equipment.

Furthermore, according to the project page on GitHub, over $3,000 was spent on priority queue passes and server rental fees. Since 2b2t is a popular server, purchasing a priority queue pass is practically essential to avoid long connection wait times.

Editorial Opinion

In the short term, this project has set a new benchmark for large-scale archiving within the Minecraft community. The development of a custom compression format like zvcr offers technical insights not just for game data but also for other large-scale data set archiving projects. Over the next three to six months, similar archiving attempts may increase for other servers.

From a long-term perspective, this project highlights the technical challenges and solutions involved in preserving cultural heritage in gaming. Online game worlds that have been running for years accumulate vast amounts of data, and developing efficient storage methods is becoming an industry-wide challenge. Research into specialized compression formats for game data could progress over the next one to three years.

As an editorial note, it is regrettable that the technical details of the zvcr format have not been made public. Sharing the compression algorithm would not only facilitate its application in other archiving projects but also ensure the format’s long-term compatibility. Whether the team will consider open-sourcing the format remains a key point of interest.

References

• ” Gamers compress 80TB map of Minecraft’s oldest anarchy server down to a 15TB download — custom .zvcr compression format and 28 bots map 1 million blocks on infamous 2b2t server ”, by Zhiye Liu — Tom’s Hardware, 2026-07-30T10:25:00.000Z (ARR)
• Source URL: https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/gamers-compress-80tb-map-of-minecrafts-oldest-anarchy-server-down-to-a-15tb-download-custom-zvcr-compression-format-and-28-bots-map-1-million-blocks-on-2b2t