Similar to Minecraft, Minecraft Earth is centered around building structures, gathering resources, crafting, and exploration. The game utilizes the same Bedrock game engine as other versions of Minecraft. In "build mode", players can build augmented reality structures on "Buildplates" in collaboration with other players, then explore them in full size with "play mode". In both Build mode and Play mode, the buildplates are overlayed onto the real world using augmented reality and the built-in phone camera. Players can gather resources by collecting "tappables" in the in-game map and by completing "adventures" which may be a puzzle, a specific task, or a virtual location with hostile entities to defeat. Minecraft Earth takes into account physical objects such as trees and lakes so there are fewer incidents and interferences with the AR simulation. Minecraft Earth includes many different kinds of in-game entities called "mobs" that are exclusive variations of the mobs in Minecraft. The game has two in-game currencies: "rubies" and "minecoins". Rubies can be earned through gameplay or purchased with real money, and can be used to purchase items that affect gameplay such as "build plates". Minecoins, which are present in all Bedrock editions of Minecraft, can only be purchased with real money and are used to purchase cosmetic items, such as texture packs and character skins.
Development
Minecraft Earth utilizes information from OpenStreetMap for map information and is built on Microsoft Azure for its augmented reality features. The game is free-to-play, and supports Android and iOS smartphones. During Microsoft Build 2015, Microsoft's HoloLens team unveiled an augmented reality version of Minecraft. On 8 May 2019, a teaser trailer was released which showed a Muddy Pig. Minecraft Earth was announced during Minecraft10th anniversary in May 2019. Microsoft created a website for players to signup for the closed beta that was released during mid-2019, and Microsoft intended to release the game in a gradual rollout. Multiplayer gameplay was showcased at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2019.
Release
A closed beta was first released for iOS on 16 July 2019 in Seattle and London, then in Stockholm, Tokyo, and Mexico City over the next two days. Android users in these cities gained access to the closed beta on 30 August 2019. Minecraft Earth was first released in early access in Iceland and New Zealand on 17 October 2019, and slowly rolled out in other countries in the following weeks, such as the United States in November. It was made available globally on 11 December 2019.
Reception
Newshub described the game as "hugely ambitious". Research firm Sensor Tower reported that it was downloaded 1.4 million times in its first week of release, with 1.2 million from the United States.
