An "education edition" of Minecraft is to be launched by Microsoft.
The product will offer teachers new ways to use the world-building video game in a range of subjects.
It says more than 7,000 classrooms around the world already use Minecraft in some form.
"Teachers are using Minecraft to do so many things, including teaching maths, science, religion and poetry," Anthony Salcito, Microsoft's vice-president of worldwide education, told the BBC.
"Once we make the tools easier for schools to get access to and employ, I think you'll see that number [of classrooms] grow quite quickly.
His school already uses MinecraftEdu to teach pupils about A Midsummer Night's Dream by asking them to create a performance of Shakespeare's play within the game.
However, he said other teachers should be aware the software had its limitations.
"Technology can lead to exceptional learning, but it has to be used in conjunction with other tools," he said.
"If all you are doing is sitting them down and leaving them to experience Shakespeare through Minecraft, you would be doing something wrong.
"Dance, art, drama and music remain the best ways to teach kids.
"But technology can add to that as an additional tool."
Microsoft said it would allow teachers to start "beta-testing" Minecraft's education edition at some point "in the summer" without charge, ahead of its formal rollout.