Minecraft capes: the complete guide

What capes are

A cape in Minecraft is a cosmetic item shown on your character's back. It sways as you walk. A cape also changes the look of an elytra: if you have a cape and an elytra at the same time, the elytra takes on the pattern of your cape.

Unlike skins, you cannot just upload a cape as a PNG file. On Java Edition, capes are assigned to your account by Mojang, and there is no way to add one yourself without modifying the game. Bedrock Edition works differently: you buy capes in the Marketplace or get them in skin packs.

That exclusivity is exactly why capes are so prized. When you see a player wearing a MINECON 2011 cape on a server, you know that person attended the first Minecraft convention.

Official Mojang capes: the full list

Mojang has handed out capes on only a few occasions. These are the most important official capes on Java Edition:

There are also private capes assigned by hand by Mojang to the accounts of employees and selected content creators. They are not available to the public.

Minecon capes (2011-2016)

Minecon capes are the most prestigious and rarest cosmetics in Minecraft. Every Minecon convention had its own unique cape design, and the only way to get one was to attend the event in person.

MINECON 2011: the first convention cape

The MINECON 2011 cape was given to attendees of the first Minecraft convention, held in Las Vegas.

Why Mojang stopped giving out capes at Minecon

From 2017 on, Minecon changed its format to an online broadcast (Minecon Earth, later Minecraft Live). Without a physical event there is no way to verify who attended, so Mojang gave up convention capes. The Cherry Blossom Cape from 2023 was an exception.

Migrator Cape

Mojang moved accounts from the Mojang system to Microsoft accounts. As an incentive, every player who migrated received the Migrator Cape.

This was the one official cape that most players could get. All you had to do was own a Mojang account from before the migration and move it to Microsoft. The migration process ended in 2023: if you did not make it in time, you did not get the cape.

It is not as prestigious as the Minecon capes, but for many players it is the only official cape they own.

Cherry Blossom Cape

The Cherry Blossom Cape was a free event cape from 2023, available on both Java and Bedrock. Its design shows pink cherry blossom petals, a nod to the Cherry Grove biome added in the 1.20 update (Trails & Tales).

It was a cape handed out to the masses, like the Migrator Cape before it. Opinions in the community are divided: some are happy to have a cape, while others think giving them away en masse lowers their value. The fact is that after the Cherry Blossom Cape, owning some cape stopped being exceptional. Minecon capes are still rare, though.

Capes tied to Minecraft Dungeons II (2026)

Several capes appeared around the launch of Minecraft Dungeons II (September 29, 2026), and we give the dates as of October 2026. Three of them can be worn in Minecraft on Java and Bedrock: Hero Cape and Twisted Cape work in both games, while Aurora Cape works only in regular Minecraft. The Hero Cape goes free to anyone who played the first Minecraft Dungeons and logs in to Dungeons II with the same Microsoft account before December 31, 2026. The Twisted Cape went to people who bought the game in pre-order. Pre-orders have ended, but those buyers can still claim the cape by logging in to the game with the same Microsoft account.

The Aurora Cape does not come from the game itself: it is a cape for regular Minecraft that does not exist in Dungeons II. It was earned by watching live Minecraft Dungeons II streams with rewards enabled (at least 15 minutes on Twitch or 3 minutes on TikTok) from September 29 to October 14, 2026, that is, until the morning of October 15 Polish time. That window has now closed. The code came through Twitch or TikTok, there was one code per account, and the pool of codes was limited. If you already have a code, you can still enter it at minecraft.net/redeem until October 31, 2026. We show how in our guide to redeeming a cape from a Twitch or TikTok code.

Two more capes work only inside Dungeons II itself: the Soul Cape from the Deluxe edition and the Corrupted Creeper Cape. Codes for the Corrupted Creeper Cape were handed out at gamescom and Tokyo Game Show and in the WatchTime Quest promotion, which started on September 21, the day of The Last Stand show. That is a different promotion from the one that gave out the Aurora Cape. Corrupted Creeper Cape codes must be redeemed by December 31, 2027. We describe all the conditions in the article capes from Minecraft Dungeons II and how to get them.

OptiFine capes

OptiFine is a popular mod that improves game performance. It has long had its own cape system, and those capes are shown to other OptiFine users.

How to get an OptiFine cape

OptiFine capes are not free: they are tied to a donation to the OptiFine developers (about 10 USD). After you pay, you can submit your own cape design. Custom capes like this were popular on servers where most players use OptiFine.

Capes on Bedrock Edition

On Bedrock Edition, capes work differently than on Java. Instead of an account system, capes are part of skin packs available in the Marketplace. You buy a pack with Minecoins and get a skin with a cape as one item.

Some Bedrock capes are free: they appear as part of promotions or seasonal events. The Character Creator also lets you use capes, although the selection is limited.

Java Edition capes (such as the Minecon and Migrator capes) are not automatically available on Bedrock, and the other way around. They are separate systems. If you have a Minecon cape on Java, you will not see it on Bedrock.

Can you get a cape for free?

The short answer: only in designated windows. Free capes (the Migrator Cape, the Cherry Blossom Cape) required you to act within a specific time window, and if you missed it, you do not have it. As of October 2026, one such window is still open: the Hero Cape for people who played the first Minecraft Dungeons and log in to Minecraft Dungeons II before December 31, 2026. The Aurora Cape window, for watching live Dungeons II streams, closed on October 14, 2026; a code you already have can be redeemed until October 31.

What you can do:

• Badlion / Lunar Client: alternative launchers with their own cosmetics (capes, wings, hats). Visible only to users of the same client.
• Servers with plugins: some servers let you wear a cape as a reward for activity or for a purchase in the server's store. Visible only on that server.

History and rarity of capes

Capes have existed in Minecraft since 2010. The system later grew to include convention capes, and in 2021 Mojang decided on its first mass giveaway (the Migrator Cape).

Rarity is the main reason capes are valuable. In a game where anyone can change their skin to anything, a cape is the only cosmetic that cannot be faked (on a vanilla server). The server checks your cape against Mojang's database: either you have it or you do not.

Mojang is now giving out more capes: after the 2023 Cherry Blossom Cape, 2026 brought the free Hero Cape and Aurora Cape tied to the launch of Minecraft Dungeons II. That lowers the value of the old Minecon capes, but it also gives new players a chance to wear something cool on their back.