Minecraft Earth early access arrives in New Zealand and Iceland, coming to other countries soon

What you need to know

• Minecraft Earth is currently in open beta testing.
• This early access is rolling out across different countries at different times.
• Players in New Zealand and Iceland can now play Minecraft Earth in early access.
• Other countries will be announced in the future.

Earlier this year, we reported that Minecraft Earth open beta would begin rolling out in October, with different countries getting access as the open beta was expanded. Today, an announcement from the Minecraft Earth team on Twitter confirmed that the open beta is now available in two new countries, New Zealand and Iceland. This kicks off the open beta access period that was discussed at Minecon 2019.

Other countries are coming soon, so if you aren't able to play Minecraft Earth yet, don't panic. The intention right now per Mojang is for Minecraft Earth to be available everywhere (except for China) by the end of 2019. Getting the game available in China will probably happen but will take additional time. The closed beta for this ambitious game began entailed the UK, U.S., Sweden, Japan, and Mexico. You can sign up for Minecraft Earth early access right over here.

The closed beta was fairly limited, with players only able to tap blocks around the world map. With the open beta going out, more and more classic features that fans enjoy in Minecraft will be available, such using different tools like picks and axes. This will also bring the addition of Adventures. Adventures are big events in Minecraft Earth that will have players fighting off skeletons, digging down for diamonds and more. You can read more about Adventures here.

Related: Minecraft Earth beta snags crafting, up to 8 hours to craft Diamond Pickaxe