Minecraft is getting a gliding minigame on Xbox One tomorrow

I can’t think of a game that’s evolved as much as Minecraft. Even Minecraft on Xbox One has witnessed a significant transformation from its humble beginnings. According to Mojang’s Marsh Davies, there is another surprise coming to gamers on the console tomorrow. In a post he said, “We’ve got a pretty swish update soaring onto consoles tomorrow…It’s called Glide and it’s designed to test your aeronautical skills…Strap on a pair of elytra…on an exhilarating aerial track—the first in a series of free tracks”.

The update could be a game in itself. Glide features a time attack mode where you have to use thermal drafts and speed boosters in order to fly through hoops. There is also a lot of strategy involved. For example, if you study the course, you might find shortcuts you can use to your advantage! This comes in handy when you want to beat your friends or rank the highest on the leaderboards. This update also boosts the Xbox One player limit to 16 in both Glide and Battle.

The Glide minigame was a natural extension of the Minecraft Christmas update for Xbox One. The Christmas update introduced the elytra which allowed players to fly everywhere. The item has since become incredibly popular so the developers wanted to expand on it and give gamers more options. Experiences like Pilotwings which originally released in 1990 were also a massive inspiration for the mode.

As alluded to earlier, many free maps will be added to the game in the coming weeks. For example, keep your eyes out for a temple-inspired track, which sweeps through jungle canyons, mines and ruins. Minecraft on Xbox One is a great port but it still lacks the customization available on PC. For example, players have to purchase expensive texture packs to change the look of their game when PC users can create their own for free. The texture packs available on the console aren’t that great either. None of them compare to user-created ones like Gerudoku which give the title a more adventure game-like aesthetic. Modes like Glide are truly appreciated on Xbox One but the game still has a long way to go in order to be in the same league as its PC counterpart.