Microsoft has quietly announced the end of an era, revealing that the Xbox Avatar Editor will be discontinued early next year. “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,” the company stated in its FAQ about the feature.
The Xbox Avatar Editor, which launched in 2018, allowed players to personalize cartoon versions of themselves using a variety of free and purchasable cosmetics. The app provided extensive options for diversity and personal expression, enabling users to create avatars that closely resembled themselves or any persona they wished to present to the Xbox community. Microsoft has announced that it will refund players for any Xbox Avatar Editor purchases made between November 1, 2023, and the app’s end date.
Avatars were first introduced to player accounts during the Xbox 360 era. These Xbox Original Avatars will not be affected by the discontinuation of the editor app; they will continue to be available for players using those classic images, as well as on Xbox 360 hardware.
For those who wish to preserve their avatars as their profile photos on Xbox, the Avatar Editor app can still be used until the shutdown date to save a picture to their account. The Xbox support forums provide a detailed guide on how to create or upload a profile photo.
