With the immense success of Pokémon Go and the numerous additions that have been made available through augmented-reality technology, it’s no surprise that another developer would want to push a well-known series in that direction. But what has surprised the gaming world today was the announcement that Mojang, through Microsoft, is bringing Minecraft Earth to our mobile devices. No one could have imagined that Minecraft would be the next big mobile AR title that allows players to bring their world to life with the creative elements of Minecraft. This announcement thankfully has come with a sneak peek at what’s to be expected in terms of scope and creativity, take a look:
Minecraft Earth is putting AR in the hands of players so that they can build creations alongside friends and place these in the real world in life-like size. For a free-to-play game, Earth will include a large amount of content at launch. Not only will roaming player be able to create, but they will have to put their survival skills to the test outside of the blocky and virtual world that they’ve grown accustomed to. While exploring neighborhoods, park, and much more there will be classic Minecraft mobs that will have to be taken down or evaded.
Several closed betas will be started early this summer for a limited number of players, though, the developers are anticipating “hundreds of thousands of players” will be participating. For anyone interested in checking out the rules or requirements for the beta check it out here. Otherwise, the FAQ page for Minecraft Earth ends the questions with a powerful and simple one in this day and age of gaming: “Will Minecraft Earth have loot boxes?” And the answer is a resounding “No.”
Minecraft Earth is on its way to iOS and Android this summer for AR-capable devices.