Microsoft Announced Minecraft Earth, the Mobile AR Game

Microsoft has announced their latest Minecraft game, a real-world AR game for mobile devices called Minecraft Earth!

Teased last week and announced on their official website, along with a promotional trailer, Minecraft Earth combines the building, crafting, and surviving of Minecraft with the augmented reality support of games like Pokemon Go.



The trailer only shows pre-generated footage showing off the concept. But the announcement post goes into greater detail as to what the game will be offering to players. Though to be honest, even then it still sounds a bit unclear.

"Collect! Minecraft Earth features many of the mobs you know and love, along with a bunch of new ones we cant wait to show you. Over time, youll get the chance to discover unique variants, and use them to populate your builds. Minecraft pigs parading around your local park? Thats about to become your reality.

Explore! Your real-life neighborhood is about to take on a new dimension. Gather resources, take on challenges, and experience a whole new world to discover!

Collaborate! Build even better by teaming up with other Minecraft Earth players. You can craft amazing creations together. We cant wait to see what you come up with!

Survive! Sure, youre good at fighting hostile mobs in Minecraft, but are you ready to battle Minecraft mobs in real life? Best of luck, because were going to put your survival skills to the test!"

One thing is clear, players will be able to build structures in real life locations. Mobs appear to be present, either as friendly creatures or hostile enemies. It's not clear how interacting with them will work though. We also noticed it mentioned "a bunch of new ones," so we can expect some fresh ideas.

When the game releases, it will be free to play, Mojang will be holding a private beta this summer for iOS and Android devices. To sign up for the beta. Go here. Participation will reward players with a special skin for Minecraft Bedrock Edition.

How the game will make money is not clear at this time. The FAQ specifies that it will be free to play and that they will not have loot boxes. We could speculate on microtransactions or premium memberships, but it's anyone's guess.

There's a great deal of questions left unanswered about Minecraft Earth. We'll certainly be watching it closely. Maybe Microsoft will reveal more at this year's E3 next month.