Minecraft Capes: Every cape, 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) . Since the early days of the game, there’s been another accessory that makes your skin look even cooler: the cape. Once a highly coveted item, capes have become much easier to obtain. Still, many players don’t realize 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 exclusive and rare, awarded only to certain players. Because of that, they were highly sought after, and many old accounts with capes have a unique status in the community.

In-game, a cape flows behind you and simply looks cool. You can turn it on and off, depending on what you prefer. A cape also changes the look of your Elytra. Depending on the cape, there are unique 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 them available.

• 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: Granted to players who owned both editions before June 2022.
• Common: You can currently obtain this by logging into Bedrock (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. Only a few thousand players have these rare capes. Most of these capes can be used only in Java, since Bedrock didn’t exist at the time. Today the event 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

Minecraft was long a project worked on by just a handful of people. It’s no surprise they gave themselves exclusive capes. Over the years, and with Mojang’s acquisition by Microsoft, the design changed several times. Every new employee receives 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: Granted 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 promotions (2019–2024+)

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

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

Personal capes for players: unique one-offs

Over the years, a few special capes have been granted to individual players, either for events or for ideas that made it into the game. These are often tied to a single account and cannot be obtained by others.

• Bacon: A temporary cape for the player Miclee, who suggested Pigmen.
• Millionth Customer: Cape for akronman1, the millionth purchaser.
• dB: Cape for musician dannyBstyle, whose music Notch enjoyed.
• Snowman: Cape for JulianClark, nephew of comedian Ray Cokes.
• Cheapsh0t’s: For the Japanese translation, awarded to 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: This cape was mistakenly given to LolFoxy2 and later revoked. It was subsequently granted to the player JoinGrave.
• Oxeye: A cape accidentally given to the player iSxckk. It was likely intended for someone else.

Capes for competitions: Scrolls & Cobalt

Mojang developed a few other games besides Minecraft. 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: Awarded to winners of a Cobalt tournament, with 23 recipients. It’s also the only cape with a completely different Elytra design, inspired by one of the monsters from Cobalt.

How do you get new Minecraft capes? Tips and sources

Capes still aren’t trivial to obtain today—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, you’ll have the best chance to catch them there. Some newer capes are also tied to challenge servers available 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 region and timing: 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 data 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 a browser.
• Bedrock: Launch the game and click your Dressing Room on the right of the main menu. At the very bottom of the left menu, you’ll find your Capes.

Note on third-party capes (OptiFine, LabyMod & 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 exclusive capes are especially coveted and provide a fascinating look at the game’s 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 claim them during their limited availability.