Minecraft Earth is set to take the real world by storm. We will reveal to you what is known so far about Minecraft with a connection to reality.
In time for the 10th anniversary of Minecraft , Microsoft announced a completely new game that is not just another version of classic Minecraft. The new title “Minecraft Earth” will be a smartphone game that accesses your camera similar to Pokémon GO and shows you game content based on location data.
But what is already known about Minecraft Earth? Can you play it yet? When is the release? What does the gameplay look like? We want to answer these and other questions in the article.
The first trailer for Minecraft Earth can be found here.
Gameplay – What content is available in Minecraft Earth?
Collecting resources: As in classic Minecraft, collecting resources is vitally important. If you don’t have enough wood and stone, you certainly can’t build fancy houses. That’s why it’s worth (and necessary) to venture out into the world and mine resources.
The resource spots in the world are supposed to be logically structured. If you visit the city park, for example, you will find wood there. If you take a walk to a lake, you can fish and catch fish.
However, the extent to which real “farming” of resources is necessary is not yet known.
Collecting and breeding creatures: In addition to collecting building resources, catching wild animals is also important. There are well-known animals like chickens, pigs, and sheep, but a few new animals are also supposed to exist.
Animals can be bred and later used to fill your building sites with life. A proper farm only becomes convincing with animals, right? And what would a dark dungeon be without creepers?
Building, together or alone: Everywhere in the world, it will be possible to place your buildings and build something. If other players are nearby, you can even team up and construct something together – or take a few blocks from another player to use for your own purposes.
If you see someone trying to shoot a defenseless sheep with a bow, you should be able to step in and prevent it.
Interaction with others seems to be a major aspect of the game.
Experience adventures together: This interaction will also be important in adventures. There are supposed to be small adventures throughout the world that function like dungeons and contain actual fights. An adventure, for example, lures with particularly rare resources but is also – like in real Minecraft – associated with dangers. Because if you die, you may lose the resources you collected in the adventure.
Permanent character level: Each player will also receive their own level. Unlike in normal Minecraft, this level does not get lost, but gradually unlocks new content (details on this are not yet available). This will also be an indicator of how much time a player has already invested in the game.
Beta registration and release of Minecraft Earth
Is there a beta? How do I participate? Before the game is made publicly available, there will be a closed beta phase. Registration for this is already possible and also ensures the receipt of an exclusive skin. If you want to register for the beta, you will need a smartphone that runs at least Android 7 or iOS 10.
You can register for the beta on the page of earth.minecraft.net.
Please note that registration does not guarantee that you will receive beta access.
When does the beta start? The Minecraft Earth beta is expected to be available in “selected cities” in summer 2019.
When is the release of Minecraft Earth? There is no exact release date yet, but plans talk about “later in 2019” – so it looks like we might be able to beautify our world with buildings by Christmas at the latest.
Micro-transactions and Free2Play
Minecraft Earth aims to appeal to a large player base and will therefore be released as a Free2Play product. Of course, the developers and publishers want to make money, so there will be opportunities to spend real money in the game.
No Pay2Win and no loot boxes: The executive producer Jesse Merriam said:
“We don’t hide any gameplay behind payment options. You can’t bypass or shorten gameplay. There is no Pay-to-Win and no loot boxes. (…) We try to approach monetization with a player-first mindset.”
What exactly can be bought for money is still unclear. The most obvious options would likely be skins for your character or other cosmetic adjustments, as is already the case in many other games.
Offensive content can be reported: In a game world created by players and filled with creative ideas, there are of course always a few trolls.
Because there are already concerns that a few particularly “funny” people might decorate their building sites with penises or swastikas, there will be a whole team that reviews reported structures and will delete them in case of a violation.
Are you looking forward to Minecraft Earth and the opportunity to cover the whole world with buildings? Or do you consider Minecraft to be a purely digital experience on PC or console?
