Minecraft Earth R31 update begins winter festivities, adds new mob

Minecraft Earth
Minecraft Earth (Image credit: Microsoft)

What you need to know

  • Minecraft Earth is the Pokemon Go-like mobile AR spin-off of Minecraft.
  • The game has struggled to maintain relevance but continues with fresh content and updates.
  • The latest update, Patch R31, sets up the game for Season 15: Winter Wonderland with new challenges and rewards.
  • There's also a new mob in the Pinto Cow, which can be found in-game now through tappables.

Minecraft Earth is the mobile spin-off of Minecraft, not to be confused with the excellent Minecraft Dungeons available through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Project xCloud), that combines Minecraft with Pokemon Go-like gameplay mechanics and AR functionality. The game has steadily grown with relatively regular updates, and the latest one, Patch R31, prepares Minecraft Earth for the holiday festivities as we head into December, adds a new mob variant (there are lots in Minecraft Earth), and includes the usual mysterious bug fixes and improvements.

It's certainly a smaller update, and Minecraft Earth arguably hasn't made any major changes for months, but it's good to see that the game continues to be supported with new content. If you're looking for the best way to play Minecraft Earth, check out some of the Best Phones for Xbox Cloud Gaming, which are excellent phones in general, perfect for mobile games or for streaming high-quality Xbox games.

The full changelog for Minecraft Earth R31 includes:

New features

  • It's a WINTER WONDERLAND! Get some hot cocoa, an ugly sweater, and set up the tree because Season 15: Winter Wonderland is coming soon, featuring wintery challenges and snowy rewards (is that a thing? It is SNOW, get it?)

New mobs & variants

  • Not to be confused with a certain variety of delicious beans, the Pinto Cow is a new mob that we are introducing in this update! Available in a tappable (not Mexican restaurant) near you!

Bug fixes

  • Various bug fixes

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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.