The Xbox Avatar Editor, first introduced during the Xbox One era, will shut down on January 9, 2025, Microsoft has announced. However, Xbox 360 Avatars will stick around.
Microsoft announced the news via a support page, stating players will no longer be able to use or access the Xbox Avatar Editor come the beginning of next year. Those who made any purchases for their avatar in the last year (since November 1, 2023), will automatically be refunded for those purchases. Those who use their avatar for their Xbox Gamerpic will continue to be able to do so, but will be unable to update it via the Xbox Avatar Editor come January 9.
As for the reason behind the shutdown, Microsoft said it is due to “low engagement” and the company’s “shift in focus to delivering other player experiences.”
The good news is that Xbox 360 Avatars (or Xbox Original Avatars, as they are officially called now) will still be accessible. These avatars were first introduced in 2008 for the Xbox 360 before being carried forward to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and are actually used for some Xbox 360 games–mostly Xbox Live Arcade titles like 1 vs.100, A Kingdom for Keflings, or the marketing-stunt-turned-video-game Doritos Crash Course. They can also still be used as Gamerpics and customized via the Xbox Original Avatars app on consoles and PC.
Though Xbox 360 Avatars found some popularity due to their Nintendo Mii-like appearance, the modern iteration of avatars added for Xbox One never seemed to find its footing, and has long been an afterthought. Microsoft emphasized on its support page that despite Xbox Avatars getting the axe, players can still personalize and customize their Xbox experience in other ways, like with dynamic backgrounds, custom Gamerpics, and more.