Wondering how to add a stylish cape to your Minecraft character for free? Don‘t worry, you‘ve got options! While paid capes offer premium looks, several methods exist to earn free capes by participating in the Minecraft community. So save your Minecoins – here‘s your guide to getting free capes the legitimate way in vanilla Minecraft.
Let‘s first summarize the main ways to score a free cape:
Migrate your Mojang account to get the beloved Migration Cape
Join special events like Minecraft Live to earn limited-time event capes
Test Minecraft betas to obtain one of the many beta capes
Modify your skin in mods like OptiFine for fully customized capes
I‘ll explain each method in detail below. But first, let‘s talk about…
The Allure and Rarity of Minecraft Capes
For many Minecraft players, capes represent the peak of style and status. Who doesn‘t want a billowing cape on their blocky avatar?
But the reality is that legitimate capes are incredibly rare – making them highly coveted status symbols. Of Minecraft‘s over 140 million monthly users, only a fraction of a percent sport capes.
To illustrate just how rare they are, let‘s look at stats for a few renowned capes:
| Cape | Rarity | # of Users |
|---|---|---|
| Migration Cape | Common | ~800,000 |
| Minecon 2015 Cape | Legendary | ~10,000 |
| Bacon Cape | Mythic | <10 |
As you can see, even the "common" Migration Cape is held by well under 1% of Minecraft users. The rarest capes like Bacon and Minecon 2015 are virtually unobtainable.
So if you manage to score one of the free capes, be sure to wear it with pride! Let‘s look at how to earn some free cape glory.
Migrate Your Mojang Account for the Migration Cape
Your best bet for getting a free cape is to migrate your Mojang account to a Microsoft account and earn the Migration Cape.
Back in 2020, Microsoft began requiring all Minecraft Java users to migrate from Mojang accounts over to Microsoft accounts. As a reward for migrating, players receive the beloved Migration Cape – a dark blue cape with gray rectangles.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for earning this cape yourself:
Visit the Mojang account migration page and log into your Mojang account.
Click "Begin Migration" and carefully follow the prompts to migrate your Mojang account over to a Microsoft account.
When complete, launch Minecraft and load into a world while signed into your Microsoft account.
Check your in-game wardrobe and equip the Migration Cape!
Simple as that – this cape now belongs to you forever and can be proudly worn on any of your Minecraft skins.
Over 800,000 players have earned the Migration Cape, making it the most common legitimate cape. But it still represents a major accomplishment for any Minecrafter.
Now let‘s look at…
Earning Event Capes from Minecraft Live
Aside from migrating your account, your next best option is participating in official Minecraft events to earn exclusive event capes.
The most prominent event for capes is Minecraft Live – Minecraft‘s annual livestream reveal of new updates and features.
During the stream, fans can participate in the YouTube live chat and vote on new mobs or biomes. If you log into your registered Microsoft account while participating, you‘ll receive that year‘s special event cape!
For example, the vibrant 2020 Minecraft Live Cape was blue with orange highlights:
To earn the next event cape:
Make sure you‘re logged into your Microsoft account before joining the YouTube stream.
Actively participate in the chat and polls when live.
Within a few days, the limited-time cape will be added to your account!
These coveted event capes can never be obtained again after the livestream ends. So be sure to tune in next time Minecraft Live rolls around for your chance to snag another rare beauty.
Test Beta Versions to Unlock Beta Capes
Did you know you can earn awesome colorful capes by beta testing upcoming Minecraft versions?
Through the Minecraft Preview program, players on Windows, Xbox, Android and iOS can sign up to test experimental beta features and updates before public release.
In return for your valuable feedback, Mojang awards beta testers with exclusive beta capes after a period of active participation. There are over 20 vibrant beta cape designs to unlock!
To start earning beta capes for yourself:
Join the Minecraft Preview program on your device.
Enable beta testing in Minecraft settings to start trying out new features.
Play regularly and report any bugs or issues you find.
After a period of active testing, your snazzy new beta cape will unlock!
Pro tip: Beta capes are some of the most colorfully designed capes out there. Participating in just a few testing periods can net you a rainbow array of free capes for your trouble.
Score Capes from Paid Skin Packs
Now let‘s discuss options if you don‘t mind paying a bit. The Minecraft Marketplace offers various skin packs containing exclusive capes you can‘t get elsewhere.
For example, the Star Wars Classic Skin Pack comes with a Jedi robe cape:
Other packs like Villains offer villain-themed capes, perfect for roleplaying.
These skin packs cost around $2 – $5. While not free, it‘s a cheap way to obtain unique stylish capes to complete your skins.
Browse the in-game Marketplace or Minecraft.net to view cape skin packs for your platform.
Using Mods Like OptiFine for Custom Capes
So far we‘ve focused on legit methods to earn free capes through participation. But if you just want to look cool, mods open the door for unlimited custom capes.
The most popular option is OptiFine, a mod that allows players to add any cape design they want.
To set up your own cape:
Download and install OptiFine for Minecraft Java Edition.
Create or find a cape image file named
cape.png.Save the image to
C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\optifine\capes.Equip your cape using OptiFine‘s in-game cape menu.
And that‘s it – you can now pretend you have the rarest cape ever. Just keep in mind this is only visible to other OptiFine users.
Alternatives like Custom Cape or Cape Creator also exist if you want to try other mods.
So while not legitimate, mods offer unlimited cosmetic options for your cape needs.
Troubleshooting: Why Isn‘t My Cape Showing Up?
You did everything right but still don‘t see your new cape in-game? Not to worry – here are some troubleshooting tips to make sure you get your rightful cape:
Double check you‘re using the correct Microsoft account where you earned the cape.
For Migration Capes, try restarting the migration process if unfinished.
Verify you fully met the cape eligibility requirements, like chatting during the livestream.
Wait at least 72 hours for event capes to appear if needed.
Make sure viewing capes is enabled in your skin settings.
As a last resort, completely reinstalling Minecraft can help force a cape to show up properly.
With a little diligence, your new cape should start billowing proudly soon. Let me know if you have any other cape troubles!
Free Capes Set You Apart
While anyone can buy a fancy cape, earning free capes demonstrates your dedication to the Minecraft community. Participating in official events, testing betas, and migrating your account shows your Minecraft spirit.
So venture forth, participate, and start building your collection of free capes today! No Minecrafter‘s wardrobe is complete without these prestigious community status symbols.
