Xbox is discontinuing its long-running custom Avatar software, Xbox Avatar Editor, next year. Originally released three years into the Xbox 360’s life cycle, Avatars gave players the chance to create custom characters that looked like them (or didn’t), and have those characters represent them in various unique interactions. Despite the repeated evolution and innovation of the Avatar customization process, Avatars have been carried over faithfully across three generations of Xbox consoles, with players still able to use their Xbox 360 customization options on Xbox Series X/S.
This program is coming to an end next year: Xbox Avatar Editor will officially close on January 9, 2025according to a report from pure Xbox. Microsoft quoted “low engagement” as the reason for the shutdown – namely, few players are still using the Avatar Editor in 2024, and Microsoft would rather spend time and money elsewhere. Pre-existing avatars will be unavailable for later viewing or editing. Any cosmetic purchases made between November 2023 and the date of termination will be refunded, as long as the player has a valid payment method registered.
However, there is a silver lining: Xbox Original Avatars, a recreation of the 360 version of Avatar Editor, will remain available indefinitely. Playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S consoles, and Windows PCs, the Xbox Original Avatars app lets you create and edit custom characters just like before – albeit with limited customization options.
Xbox avatars have a long and complicated history
Consistency through change
First introduced during the Xbox 360 era, the Avatar program was seen as something of a rival to Nintendo’s Miis. They allowed for a greater sense of customization and ownership over the player’s console experience and could be used to distinguish between different users of the same device. But It didn’t take long for Avatars to become playable. Free titles like Doritos Crash Course and the iconic Avatar Fall allowed you to control your Avatar directly in the game.
Later, AAA games like Guitar Hero 5 and Tony Hawk HD Pro Skater began allowing players to import their avatars also. This legitimized the customization process and led to a greater sense of immersion in these massive celebrity games. Now, players could transform their Avatars into rock stars, professional skateboarders, game show contestants, etc. – and the options only expanded when Xbox Avatars became the mascots for official Kinect releases. Some games even offered special Avatar cosmetics as a reward for obtaining certain achievements, while other cosmetics could be purchased from the Avatar Shop.
Avatars dropped slightly with the advent of the Xbox One era. They could still be accessed and customized, but in-game integration was unprecedented. Instead, Avatars sat on the sidelines, distinguishing between different users of the same console but having little purpose otherwise. To that end, Xbox Avatars have undergone a major overhaul, reaching a new generation. Customization options included new body types, gender-free clothing, changeable colors, customizable limbs, and assistive devices such as wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs.
They ended up being ported to the Xbox Series X/S consoles with few changes. However, through all these generational changes, Avatars have always been backwards compatible: Many players still use their original Xbox 360 avatars today.
Screen Rant’s take: Avatars are a thing of the past
But we will still miss them
In the current generation, customizable console avatars are a bit outdated. They are a seventh-generation hangover, a holdover from a bygone era. Its gradual disappearance is a consequence not only of the lack of integration of avatars in most modern games, but also of the emergence of sophisticated game-specific character creators, which are almost ubiquitous today. There simply isn’t as much need for personalized avatars in the current generation.
That being said, Xbox avatars are a charming relic. They represent a bygone era that prioritized personalization and immersion. And, as they’ve been pretty consistent since the Xbox 360, they bring a lot of nostalgia. With the recent closure of the Xbox 360 digital market, Avatars are one of the only relics from that era that still remain. This is what makes the end of Xbox Avatar show so disturbing: it’s almost like saying goodbye to an old friend.
Source: pure Xbox