If you’ve enjoyed customizing your Xbox Avatar, you might want to take note: changes are coming. Xbox has discreetly revealed plans to discontinue the Xbox Avatar Editor, rendering most Avatar functionalities obsolete early next year.
According to a statement on an Xbox Support page (spotted by Pure Xbox), the app that allowed players to design and modify their avatars using items purchased from the Xbox Store will officially cease operations on January 9, 2025. Microsoft cited “low engagement” and the need to refocus on other initiatives as reasons for this decision.
“Users will still be able to personalize their consoles with dynamic backgrounds and profile colors. The Xbox Original Avatars, profile themes, and gamerpics will remain available for use on Xbox consoles and PCs,” Microsoft added. While players can retain their avatars to use as gamerpics, they will no longer be able to modify their appearance or access them through other platforms. Modifications will need to be conducted via the Xbox Original Avatars app.
It’s worth noting that Xbox 360 titles that utilized avatars, such as 1 vs. 100, the two Doritos Crash Course games, and Kinect Sports, will not be impacted by this change. Additionally, Xbox will refund any purchases made for avatars since November 1, 2023.
The Xbox Avatars—now referred to as Xbox Original Avatars—made their debut in 2008 alongside the Xbox 360. These avatars function in a manner akin to Nintendo’s Mii characters, allowing users to create a 3D representation of themselves. As reported by Kotaku, their development was overseen by Rare, which envisioned a system where avatars were integrated across various games and user accounts. The initiative gained immense popularity due to its widespread presence within the Xbox ecosystem at the time.
Former lead artist Lee Musgrave remarked, “There are Avatars on the very front page of every dashboard on Xbox. When setting up a new console, creating an Avatar is one of the initial steps users are prompted to take.”
The avatars received a facelift in 2018 for the Xbox One, introducing a range of inclusive customization options, including prosthetic limbs. However, as time passed, their significance began to wane. Although new users still need to select a gamerpic when registering, they now have more diverse art options. With the advent of Xbox Series X/S, the presence of avatars in the interface has diminished dramatically, so it’s understandable if some players have overlooked their avatars entirely.
