The Minecraft Character Creator, a long-awaited feature that allows players to customize their avatars, is finally available in the game’s latest beta update.
For years, players used mods and third-party skin creators to personalize their avatars. Making custom skins, which has become a big part of the Minecraft experience, is not going away, but it will be augmented with the upcoming public release of the Character Creator.
According to the patch notes for the beta 1.13.0.15 update, the Minecraft Character Creator will allow players to change the body size and shape, as well as some body parts, of their avatars. They will also be able to tweak their eyes, mouth, hair, and skin tones.
The feature will offer more than 100 items for free, with custom accessories that players may purchase to further customize their avatars.
Compared to using only skins, the Minecraft Character Creator changes the actual model of the avatar. For example, instead of skins that depict hats and backpacks, the feature will allow these accessories to actually stick out. The option of using skins will not be replaced but will become even more potent in personalizing avatars when combined with the capabilities of the character creator.
The Minecraft Character Creator is currently only accessible to beta testers on the Xbox One, Windows 10, and Android. However, once testing has concluded, the feature will roll out to all platforms, including the upcoming Minecraft Earth.
Minecraft Earth is an augmented reality mobile game for the iOS and Android that maps in-game elements over the real world. Players will be able to collect rewards through things called “tapables” that will appear in their smartphone’s camera, and they will also be able to play Adventures, which are mini-games linked to specific locations. Similar to the character creator, the free-to-play game is still in the beta stage.
The Minecraft Character Creator and Minecraft Earth will be part of what makes the block-building series so popular. After more than 10 years since its initial launch, Minecraft is still pulling in more than 112 million players per month, an achievement that is more impressive when taking into consideration that most of its versions are not free-to-play.
