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    Thomas Wiborgh
    Written By
    Thomas Wiborgh
    Published
    7/11/19

    Minecraft Earth Closed Beta is Almost Here

    Sign up now for a chance to play in the next two weeks!

    Ever since we celebrated Minecraft’s ​10th birthday​ by releasing ​this trailer​, you have been asking three questions with alarming frequency: 

    • When can I play Minecraft Earth? 
    • Wait, ​how do I actually play Minecraft Earth? 
    • Do I have to stand next to an Enderman like the girl in that trailer? PLEASE TELL ME I DON’T IT SCARES ME WITH ITS EERIE PURPLE GAZE?! 

    As is customary when someone (or in this case, a few million people in perfect harmony) asks you a question over and over, you answer. In fact, I’ll answer all three, starting with the second one. 

     If you watched our ​on-stage live demo from Apple’s WWDC event​, you already have ​some​ idea of how Minecraft Earth works. In a nutshell, you use the near-magic of augmented reality to overlay a beautifully blocky Minecraft world on top of the real one, where you can then build incredible structures together with others, collect these nifty things called tappables and level up to gain new and improved build plates. Easy! 

    Still not completely clear? Luckily, we’ve created a handy video to illustrate exactly what to expect from the Minecraft Earth beta! We’ve even included actual moving images from said beta (with an impossibly upbeat, yet beautifully pedagogical voice-over by Stephen Scott of the Minecraft Earth Design Team, as a fun bonus!)

    So, on to the next (previous?) question: when can I play? If you’re really lucky, it could happen in the next two weeks​! That’s right, a limited number of players in a few select cities will be able to Minecraft their world before summer is over! 

    Here are a few important details about the Minecraft Earth closed beta: 

    • The closed beta will launch for iOS in the next two weeks, with the Android version following soon thereafter.
    • As with most closed betas, the number of participants will be limited in numbers and locations. This is to make sure our servers are able to keep up with all the exploration, creation and, hopefully, surviving that is going on around the world. To learn about the current availability of the beta, ​follow Minecraft Earth on Twitter​! 
    • As is also common with beta versions, your progress will occasionally be reset as we test and develop various features of the game.
    • If you are selected to participate in the closed beta (congratulations!), you will receive an invitation email to the email address you have associated with the Microsoft Account or Xbox Live account you submitted in your registration.
    • If you are selected (congrats again!), you will need to play at least once every 7 days. If you don’t, we’ll give your spot to someone else, as space in the beta is very limited.
    • You have to be 18 years or older to participate. 

    Still not signed up for the beta? It’s not too late! ​Go here now​ and enter your information here for a chance to play!

    Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the answer to that third and final question! Of course you won’t have to stand next to that terrifying Enderman. It will just live in your Minecraft Earth app, which will be securely housed in your phone… which will be in your pocket. Wait, I don’t think I’m helping. Anyway, don’t worry about that! ​Sign up now​! 

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