Minecraft Earth launches early access

The day is finally here… “Minecraft Earth” early access is available in the U.S. NOW! Yes, you read that right… Minecraft’s free-to-play mobile game that blends state-of-the-art AR technology with a new version of Minecraft built on the Bedrock engine is now available for players to download on iOS and Android in the U.S. The game is already available in countries like the U.K., Canada, New Zealand and Mexico among others, and more will be added in the coming weeks until the game is available worldwide by the end of this year.

As a reminder, early access brings new features that players in the closed beta have yet to play, including:

Adventures – small slices of procedurally generated, limited-time Minecraft worlds that you play in augmented reality in life size and are just one of the experiences that are optimized for social multiplayer.

New mob variants, smelting and crafting – like the *adorable* Muddy Pig, Moobloom and Cluckshrooms, we’ll have new friendly and hostile mobs for you to meet. Through smelting, you’ll be able to work ores into ingots and with crafting you’ll get to create items you need (if you have the right materials of course), instead of having to collect the items outright.

In celebration of the game’s early access rollout, we are excited to unveil “Mobs in the Park” – interactive and experiential events featuring “Minecraft Earth” mobs popping up in New York City, London and Sydney starting on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Details for the events are below:

What: Pop-up experiences of life-sized statues that feature a customized adventure as a way for players to get their hands on exclusive access to the all-new, amazingly festive Jolly Llama mob in-game before it’s globally available in December. The events are free and open to the public.

Where: Hudson Yards (New York City, US); The Queen’s Walk (London, UK); Campbell’s Cove (Sydney, AU)

When: 10am – 7pm local time; Three consecutive weekends starting Nov. 16 (Nov. 16-17, Nov. 23-24, Nov. 30-Dec. 1), plus Friday, Nov. 29 (New York City, US only)