This week, Microsoft dropped a FAQ regarding the new Xbox Avatars (the ones on the left-hand side) that were introduced to the Xbox ecosystem nearly seven years ago. The new Avatar system will be sunset on the 9th of January 2025, and any purchases made for these avatars between the 1st of November til the removal of the Xbox Avatars app will be automatically refunded to your payment method early next year. The company will be keeping the good ol’ Xbox 360-era Avatars (the ones that were developed by Rare and used in games like A Kingdom for Keflings!) around, however, and you’ll still be able to make changes to that Avatar for the foreseeable future.
Microsoft cites the following as the reason for shuttering the new Avatar system:
Microsoft is dedicated to delivering great experiences for players, including a variety of options to personalize their gaming experience with Xbox. Due to low engagement and our shift in focus towards delivering other player experiences, the Xbox Avatar Editor app will no longer be available starting on January 9, 2025. Players can still personalize their gaming experience with dynamic backgrounds and profile colors on Xbox consoles, and with Xbox Original Avatars, profile themes, and gamerpics on Xbox consoles and PCs. For more info on new features and updates, visit News.Xbox.com.
The only way you can keep your Avatar around now is through gamerpics, which you’ll be able to do through the Xbox Original Avatars app on console or PC.
I’d say this is the end of an era for Xbox Avatars, but considering the fact that the company released them to little fanfare and hid them out of the console’s dashboard slowly but surely over the years, I think very few people will miss these Avatars. But hey, the OG Avatars are still here—Rare really does make things that stand the test of time.
