First Look at Inclusive Subtitles in Minecraft - Mojang Discusses New Feature

Mojang Studios continues to make the cubic sandbox game Minecraft more inclusive. The studio recently introduced "closed captions" for the Bedrock Edition.

The idea is to provide visual cues about surrounding sounds for players with hearing impairments. This will not be a "cheating" feature, as creepers will still be able to approach the character:

Now everyone can better navigate the world of Minecraft, significantly reducing the likelihood of sudden creeper attacks (though not to zero — they always find a way). Subtitles allow deaf and hard-of-hearing players to experience Minecraft through visual cues. They are also very useful in situations where you cannot turn on the sound or cannot give it your full attention.

Here's how the system works: captions with information about the sound source and an "arrow" indicating the direction of the sound will appear on the screen in real-time.

Mojang Studios plans to gradually refine this subtitle system. Minecraft developers said they studied tester feedback and noted that "subtitles reduce stress levels and increase confidence in dangerous situations (e.g., combat or at night), improve awareness of off-screen threats and events, and help notice easily missed sounds, such as falling items or cooking completion."