Minecraft Capes: All capes, events, and how to get them

Minecraft skins are a great way to customize your avatar to your liking. Whether for your own screenshots or on a server with other players, it’s always cool to see yourself (Minecraft Skins: Where to Get Them and How to Change Them In-Game) . But since the very beginning of the game, you could get another accessory that makes your skin look even cooler: the cape. Once a highly coveted item in Minecraft, it’s now much easier to obtain. Still, many players don’t even know these capes exist or how to get them.

What are Minecraft capes and how do they work?

Capes are an extra accessory you can select for your character and use alongside your skin. For many years they were a very exclusive, rare item granted only to certain players. That made them highly sought after, and many older accounts with these capes have a unique status within the community.

In-game, your cape flows behind you and just looks cool. You can toggle it on and off depending on your preference. Your cape also changes the look of your Elytra. Depending on the cape, you’ll find unique wing patterns to discover. Official capes are visible in both Java and Bedrock; some older event capes were historically available only in Java.

All official Minecraft capes: complete list by category

Capes for your Minecraft account (Pan, Migrator, One Vanilla, Common)

These capes were granted for specific actions tied to your Minecraft account. There’s a good chance you have at least one of these and can equip it.

• Pan Cape: A cape every player receives and the only one without a time limit.
• Migrator: Granted to everyone who successfully migrated their Mojang account to Microsoft.
• One Vanilla: Given to players who owned both versions before June 2022.
• Common: You can currently obtain this by logging into Bedrock (available until May 5, 2026).

MineCon and Minecraft Live capes: rare event capes (2011–2016)

The former MineCon was an event players could attend. It ran from 2010 to 2016 and was later replaced by various other events. That’s why only a few thousand players have these rare capes. Most of these capes can only be used in Java, since Bedrock didn’t exist at the time. Today, the show is known as Minecraft Live, where new updates and surprises are announced.

• 2011
• 2012
• 2013
• 2015
• 2016
• MC Experience

Mojang and Microsoft employee capes: developer capes

For a long time, Minecraft was a project worked on by just a handful of people. It’s no surprise they gave themselves an exclusive cape. Over the years, and with Mojang’s acquisition by Microsoft, the design has steadily evolved. New employees also receive a cape.

• Classic Mojang: Issued between 2010 and 2015. Only 27 people own it.
• Microsoft Xbox: Only available to developers of the original Xbox version.
• Mojang: Given to employees between 2015 and 2021 and seen on around 200 developers.
• Mojang Studios: The current cape for Minecraft developers, also worn by roughly 200 people.

Capes for virtual events and campaigns (2019–2024+)

These capes will look familiar to most players. They’re far more common and were added only in recent years. Most new capes will likely appear in this category.

• Founder’s: Downloadable digitally for MineCon Live 2019.
• Progress Pride: Available for free in the Bedrock Marketplace in 2023.
• Cherry: Granted to all players who participated in the 2023 Mob Vote.
• Follower’s: Distributed on TikTok in 2024.
• Purple Heart: Distributed on Twitch in 2024.
• 15th Anniversary: Redeemable on the website in 2024 for Minecraft’s 15th birthday.
• MCC 15th Year: Also for the 15th anniversary, but earned through a Bedrock challenge map.
• Mojang Office: Obtainable during the “Eerie Mojang Office Party” at the end of 2024.
• Home: For the Minecraft movie; obtainable via Twitch.
• Menace: For the Minecraft movie; obtainable via TikTok.
• Yearn: For the Minecraft movie; obtainable on an exclusive Bedrock server.

Personal capes for players: unique, one-of-a-kind capes

Over the years, a few very special capes have been granted to individual players, whether for events or for ideas that made it into the game. These are often tailored to a single account and can’t be obtained by others.

• Bacon: A temporary cape for player Miclee, who suggested Pigmen.
• Millionth Customer: Cape for akronman1, the millionth purchaser.
• dB: Cape for musician dannyBstyle, whose music Notch likes.
• Snowman: Cape for JulianClark, nephew of comedian Ray Cokes.
• Cheapsh0t’s: For the Japanese translation and the user cheapsh0t.
• Spade: For modder MrMessiah, who added both grass and a new lighting engine to the game in 2011.
• Prismarine: For modder Drullkus and his custom prismarine blocks.
• Turtle: A cape for player billyK_, who really wanted turtles.
• Birthday: An exclusive cape for developer Gr8Bizzo.
• Valentine: Erroneously granted to LolFoxy2 and later revoked. It was subsequently given to player JoinGrave.
• Oxeye: A cape mistakenly given to player iSxckk, presumably intended for someone else.

Competition capes: Scrolls & Cobalt

Mojang didn’t just develop Minecraft, but also a few other games. Two capes are tied to competitions held in those games.

• Scrolls Champion: For winners in the game Scrolls, now known as Caller’s Bane. Only 9 players own this cape.
• Cobalt: Given to winners of a Cobalt tournament, of which there were 23. It’s also the only cape with a completely different Elytra design, inspired by one of Cobalt’s monsters.

How do you get new Minecraft capes? Tips and sources

Capes still aren’t easy to obtain today, since you need to be in the right place at the right time. We recommend keeping an eye out for special events and following Minecraft’s official accounts on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. When cape events are announced, this is your best chance to catch them. Some of the newer capes are also tied to challenge servers that exist only in the Bedrock Edition.

Practical tips:

• Enable notifications: Follow official channels and turn on alerts so you don’t miss time-limited redemption codes.
• Check regions and times: Drops and codes are often valid only within specific windows.
• Log into the game: Some capes (e.g., “Common”) require logging into Bedrock before a deadline.
• Watch event pages: Official websites and in-game news provide redemption links and QR codes.
• Beware of scams: Never give account credentials to third-party tools — official capes come only through Mojang/Microsoft promotions.

Equip a cape in-game (Java & Bedrock): step-by-step

• Java: Change your skin in the Minecraft Launcher and select one of your capes there. Alternatively, you can customize your skin in your browser.
• Bedrock: Launch the game, then click your Dressing Room on the right side of the main menu. At the very bottom of the left menu, you’ll find your Capes.

Note on third-party capes (OptiFine, LabyMod, and more)

Mods and clients like OptiFine or LabyMod offer their own optional capes. These are visible only to players using the same mod/client and do not count as official Mojang capes. For global visibility, only official capes matter.

Conclusion: Minecraft capes as status symbols and collectibles

Capes are a true status symbol in Minecraft. Older and more exclusive ones are especially coveted and also offer a great look back at Minecraft’s development history. You can rent a Minecraft server and show off your cape to friends on your server. Keep an eye out for new events and capes if you want to grab them during their limited availability.