Microsoft announces new Minecraft Earth AR game for Android and iOS

Microsoft teased a brand new Minecraft-related AR (augmented reality) mobile game about two weeks ago and confirmed it recently. It's called Minecraft Earth and it will launched on Android and iOS devices at some point this summer.

Besides announcing the new game, Microsoft shared some interesting details about Minecraft Earth via The Verge. First off, if you're a long-time Minecraft player, you'll be happy to know that the upcoming mobile game includes many of the Vanilla Minecraft mobs, and new ones that will be detailed later on. Minecraft Earth players will be able to discover and collect unique versions and use them to make their builds richer, as well as gather resources and take on nearby challenges.

More importantly, Minecraft Earth players will be able to go out in the real world to find small clusters of blocks, chests or mobs called Tappables. Moreover, so-called Adventures will be up for exploring in the real world, which are meant to offer players a small taste of Minecraft worlds that players can play in life-size AR. For example, a local park can become a mine where you can find diamonds, or a sidewalk may have Minecraft trees roamed by monsters. You'll have to fight these monsters if you want to collect resource, which will also rewards you with experience points to progress in the game.