Microsoft's Pokémon Go take on Minecraft will allow collaborative building and adventures anywhere Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Microsoft's Pokémon Go take on Minecraft will allow collaborative building and adventures anywhere Around your block. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 17 May 2019 8 comments Microsoft has revealed its Pokémon Go-esque take on Minecraft. It's named Minecraft Earth and will launch in beta sometimes this summer for iPhone and Android. The AR-based smartphone game will allow multiple people to build structures using Minecraft blocks and place them permanently in the world. You can also venture out and track down adventures: quick scenarios where you interact with Minecraft creatures or enemies, solo or with friends. And to do any of that, just as in Minecraft's survival mode, you'll first need to find resources. In Minecraft Earth, these are acquired by clicking on "Tappables" from the map around you. (Like Pokémon Go, Minecraft Earth uses data from OpenStreetMap to lay out the world around you.) Building works by placing blocks on a base "plate" on any flat surface - similar to that Minecraft HoloLens tech demo from 2015. These can then be dropped into the real world and is then viewable by everyone. It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft polices this one. There's no in-game video of all this working just yet - and from playing Pokémon Go I can understand why: location-based AR can be very glitchy. Microsoft's press release lists fancy tech like Azure Spatial Anchors AR tracking and PlayFab integration as ways it will solve this. For now, here's a fancy-pants CGI trailer: Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store