derex smp

As seen on TV!

Initially a server with no name, it was quickly dubbed "derex smp" by many players during the COVID high school era, and many memories were made during that two year run. There's a certain, unfinished 200 page lore book from the time, offering a glimpse at pandemic life.

Today, the Minecraft world is a high-availability, persistent survival Minecraft server built to serve as a reliable digital space for players. While most gaming communities suffer from a "two-week phase" where the spark dies and the server eventually shuts down, this project provides a stable, "forever world" that works with the natural craziness of student and adult life. Whether players disappear for months to focus on finals or step away to handle new jobs as alumni, their builds, progress, and memories remain safe exactly as they left them.

Over the year, this world has welcomed over 1,100 unique players, who have built everything from cherry forest communities to solo megabases so massive they remain visible when fully zoomed out on the world map. While the famous community project is a 100% survival mode, block-by-block recreation of the University grounds, the server isn't just for UT students. Our player base has expanded organically through friends of friends, developer communities, and random explorers on the other side of the world who stumble across us on YouTube and Reddit, creating a collaborative space for university students and working adults alike, looking for a mature, long-term survival experience.

Read the news article featuring us, written by Tyler Pullum