Why Minecraft capes are no longer exclusive and rare

Minecraft capes are skin-customization accessories that players can obtain and apply to their character in both Java and Bedrock Editions. The cape, like real life, is worn by the characters on their backs and moves whenever they move. Moreover, it becomes a skin of sorts for the elytra when the player equips it. Previously, capes were an extremely rare accessory to own in Minecraft. Recently, however, they've been so common that almost every player has at least one.

Let's explore how capes became so common in Minecraft.

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How Minecraft capes became more common

Capes used to be extremely rare

Before 2016, capes were considered an extremely rare skin customization to own in Minecraft. Mojang only gave capes to its own employees, people who helped the game develop and expand, and people who physically visited the game's annual event, MineCon.

Several years after the game's release in 2011, any player who had a cape was considered special, whether he streamed on media platforms, or was in multiplayer lobbies.

Some capes were even rarer since it was given to specific people, which meant that the accessory's rarity was one of one. Some included a player who was the game's 1,000,000th buyer, the game's music composer, BetterLight's modder, and others.

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Capes started becoming more common after Mojang's account migration

In 2021, Mojang was acquired by Microsoft, and the accounts of all Minecraft players were merge into Microsoft. This process was quite long since there were millions playing Java Edition and Bedrock Edition through Mojang. Hence, as a gift for merging into a Microsoft account, Mojang offered a migrator cape.

This was one of the first capes gifted to every player that transferred to a Microsoft account.

From this point onward, Mojang decided to make capes much more common. The Pan cape was given to every Bedrock Edition player, the Cherry cape was given to those who voted for the 2023 mob vote competition, Vanilla cape was given to those who owned both Java and Bedrock Edition separately before it became a bundle.

In 2024, Mojang celebrated Minecraft's 15th anniversary by partnering with several video streaming platforms like Twitch and TikTok. The studio gifted special capes to players who watched Minecraft streamers on both platforms for a few minutes. Players received redeem codes that could be fed in the game's official website to get the cape.

Most recently, Mojang released an eyeblossom cape that players can receive after completing five daily challenges in their latest Bedrock Edition server event called Office Party.

Like this, Mojang gradually made Minecraft capes a much more common skin accessory than it previously was.

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