Microsoft announces ar variant of Minecraft for smartphones

Microsoft has announced the free-to-play game Minecraft Earth, an AR spin-off of the game. Players can place Minecraft builds in the real world using their smartphone, either alone or in co-op. Minecraft Earth is also populated by new and familiar creatures.

Microsoft and Mojang are making Minecraft Earth public with a trailer and an official website. The creatures in the game, called mobs, can’t just be bred to create new variants; players can also fight with it. More information about the gameplay is not available at the moment. The game was already shown in a teaser earlier this month. Minecraft Earth is coming to iOS and Android on devices compatible with ar. With Android, that probably means compatibility with Google ARCore.

A closed beta of the game will take place this summer. Interested parties can register for this, but a spot is not guaranteed. The probability of admission is not stated. Smartphone users must be running at least Android 7 or iOS 10. It is not yet known when the game will be released to the general public. In any case, the release will be gradual, as was the case with Pokémon Go, for example.