Minecraft add-ons can now be applied to old and new worlds

Minecraft add-ons for Bedrock Edition have existed since its early days. They've been considered the Bedrock counterpart to Java Edition mods. However, Mojang announced on February 20, 2024, that add-ons would be receiving their own section in the in-game marketplace. This feature will now allow player-created add-ons to be downloaded and installed directly from Bedrock Edition.

This may not be the most exciting addition, though, as Mojang also confirmed that add-ons would apply to both old and new worlds. This means players who have a world they love don't need to recreate it or make a new one to activate add-ons for it. For fans who have sunk endless hours into their game worlds, this should prove to be a huge upside.

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How add-ons will work with the Minecraft Marketplace

Add-ons now have their own category in the Minecraft Marketplace (Image via Mojang)

While add-ons have long been available from third-party websites like MCPEDL, Mojang has introduced them to the Minecraft Marketplace as part of their creators' program, allowing players who make downloadable content to profit from the sale and downloading of their work by others. Once downloaded, these add-ons can be activated for both new and existing in-game worlds as well as realms.

Add-ons now have their own Minecraft Marketplace category alongside downloadable content like texture packs, maps, skins, and more. Some free add-ons have already been introduced to the marketplace, while others requiring Minecoins have also surfaced. Regardless, once downloaded, activating the add-ons for a world is an incredibly easy process.

You can activate add-ons for your Minecraft worlds with the following steps:

1. Select an add-on from the marketplace and click the download/purchase button.
2. Return to the main menu and press the Play button. Then, choose to either create a new world or click the pencil button next to an existing world.
3. On the resource and behavior pack tabs, find the add-ons you've downloaded and click the Activate button. You should be able to then create the world or re-enter it with the add-ons active.
4. For realms, open the Realms section of your world tab on the play menu and click the pencil icon. Choose the world slot you'd like to activate the add-on for. Then, click the Edit World button. Choose the behavior/resource pack tabs to select and activate your add-ons like you would in singleplayer. You should now be able to re-enter the realm with those add-ons active.

Add-ons seen in the world creation screen for Bedrock Edition (Image via Mojang)

Obviously, many players will still stick to using add-ons from free third-party sites. However, add-ons introduced in the Minecraft Marketplace provide the ability to mod the game when third-party sites aren't a viable option. This should be particularly pertinent for console players, who are primarily left with the marketplace to access any downloadable content.