Microsoft Shows Off Minecraft Earth Gameplay During Apple Event

Minecraft fans got their first look at Minecraft Earth gameplay on Monday during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference when Microsoft brought the game on-stage for a demo. A demonstration showed two players working in an augmented reality world where the players and the tools they were working with were visible among the Minecraft blocks that filled the rest of the environment. Following its gameplay debut during the event, Mojang and Microsoft have also now opened up their Minecraft Earth site to allow people to sign up for a chance to play the game first at some point during the summer.

If you missed Apple’s big WWDC event, some people who were in attendance and others on Twitter fortunately captured some of the footage and images that showed what Minecraft Earth is all about and how it’ll play. The demo showed the players building their own Minecraft world on a tabletop as they messed around with the various features and assets you’d expect to see in Minecraft. Redstone circuitry, water, and a multitude of different blocks were just some of what was shown. You can also see what tool a player is holding and when they’re working on a certain area with it.

By using Apple’s new People Inclusion feature, you can also put yourself in your Minecraft Earth creation and see other people there as well. That feature only looks to be available on iOS devices though.

If what you see looks promising, you can sign up now for the Minecraft Earth beta that’s going live during the summer. The site for Minecraft Earth has opened the signups and offers the earliest players a free skin for trying out the new mobile game.

“The world of Minecraft enters our universe in a whole new way thanks to the power of augmented reality,” the Minecraft Earth site said about the upcoming beta. “Create, Explore, and Survive like never before! Sign up for a chance to be one of the first to play, receive updates about the game, and get your free Earth skin.”

Minecraft Earth does not have a release date yet, but look for the beta version to release on iOS and Android devices this summer.