Microsoft has announced that the life of the Xbox Avatar Editor app is coming to an end, as it will be shut down soon. From January 9, 2025, the app will not be available on the Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and Windows platforms.
As to the reason why the app is shutting down, Microsoft said that there was just not enough engagement to keep it around. This means that those who own Xbox consoles won’t be able to edit their avatars, and more importantly, any Xbox Avatars and purchased avatar items will be null and void.
This only applies to custom avatars and not Xbox Original Avatars, which will continue to work normally in Xbox 360 games and be editable as well on all platforms. So if you have an Xbox Original Avatar, you can edit it on the Xbox consoles or on a Windows device.
If you recently spent money on an Avatar, luckily, your purchase will be refunded. If you bought anything avatar-related between November 1, 2023, and January 9, 2025, you will receive a full refund once the app shuts down.
This shouldn’t exactly come as a shock, since most players just ignore the whole Xbox avatar editor app and features entirely. When originally revealed, it was shown as a major part of the Xbox ecosystem and a way for players to express their individuality, but clearly, it didn’t catch on.
In other Microsoft news, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has recently started allowing subscribers to play their own console libraries through cloud streaming. The service is useful, but currently, is only limited to around 50 games and can be used on a PC, smartphone, handheld, tablet, or even a TV. The list of supported games is expected to grow as time goes on, and the Xbox app for PC will get this feature as well in 2025.
