Minecraft Earth closed beta now on Android

The rollout is occurring throughout the week in five cities.

What you need to know

• Minecraft Earth closed beta is now available on Android.
• The rollout will be in Seattle, London, Tokyo, Stockholm, and Mexico City.
• This update is also adding rubies, a form of in-game currency.

If you're a lucky Android user living in Seattle, London, Tokyo, Stockholm, or Mexico City you can now take part in Minecraft Earth's closed beta. Minecraft Earth is an augmented reality (AR) game that mixes the traditional Minecraft building blocks you know and love with real world environments.

This update will also add a new form of in-game currency, rubies. These allow players to buildplates during the beta. Rubies can either be earned in-game or purchased through microtransactions. Rubies will be tied to your Xbox Live Account and will remain with you after the early access period ends.

According to Mojang, most of the previous rules from the iOS beta, which rolled out in the middle of July, apply to its Android beta. Players must sign-up in order to receive an invite to the closed beta. Afterward, you'll need to log in once every seven days to keep your account active. If you're not sure whether your Android phone can run Minecraft Earth, we have a guide just for you.

Despite the beta only taking place in five cities, Minecraft Earth aims to release across the world.

Block By Block

Minecraft Earth

Free at Google Play Store

Minecraft meets the real world.

Minecraft Earth takes virtual building, exploration, and discoveries to the next level. Microsoft's upcoming augmented reality flavor of the hit blockbuster brings Minecraft into the real world, rivaling successes of Pokemon GO.