In the time it took to write and publish last week’s Character Select about the Very Cool x Minecraft collaboration, almost the entire thing sold out. Fewer than 10 pieces are currently listed on the website, and an even smaller number of each size, if any at all. So while I wait for my precious Axolotl Ushanka to come back in stock, I spoke to Scott Guthrie, the founder and creative director of Cool Shirtz, to learn about how the collection actually came to life. More specifically, the creative choices behind pursuing a Minecraft collaboration.
When I asked why Cool Shirtz wanted to go ahead with a Minecraft collection, Guthrie said: “I have such an incredibly deep appreciation for this game, so it felt very natural! It was exciting to put my knowledge to use in building something of a love letter to a property that has brought me a lot of joy over the years.
Character Select
Welcome to Character Select, a weekly column where PC Gamer takes a look at the art and cosplay created by you. Each week, I’ll highlight a few of my favourite pieces, spotlight and interview creators and artists, or generally just chew your ear off about the talents of the gaming community.
“It seems crazy to say, as the most popular game in the world, but I do feel that Minecraft is quite underrated. There’s a lot of people who pass it off as simply a game for kids, or take a very surface-level view of what it has to offer. Myself and the team just wanted the chance to bring some love to the unsung heroes of the Minecraft world, and show that it really does have something for everyone.”
Although the team was incredibly familiar with the ins and outs of the game, it didn’t make the design process of each item any easier. After all, Minecraft is filled with unique mobs and blocks, all deserving of their own place in a collection like this one. Guthrie told me “It was a super collaborative process. The first idea I wanted to nail was the Enderman Hoodie, which really set the tone for how we wanted to approach everything—creating garments that people could wear not just to represent the game, but to become it. From there, we all shared our favourite mobs and blocks, or any other element from the game we thought we could translate to something wearable.”
But even with such an extensive collection, it’s impossible to pick a favourite item (or items). As I’ve already expressed in both this article and last week’s Character Select, the Axolotl Ushanka immediately stood out when I saw the range, and it’s reassuring to know the designers feel the exact same way.
“I can’t really go past the Enderman hoodie, being the idea that spawned the rest of the collection it holds a special place in my heart. What the team was able to achieve in crafting a statement long-sleeve piece that is also fully wearable as a regular hoodie is absolutely amazing, I’m incredibly proud of it, and them.
Honorable mention must go to the Monsters Nearby knit though. That particular line of text in the game ‘You May Not Rest Now, There are Monsters Nearby’ has always been something that’s grabbed me as almost being two-sentence horror levels of unnerving. It was important to me that it made it into the collection, and I’m glad the way we did so has resonated so well with the Minecraft fanbase. Finally, the jewellery! I love the jewellery so much, the Skeleton pendant is everything to me.”
After its raging success, it’s hard to believe this will be Cool Shirtz’s only gaming collab. When asked about future ideas the team would like to pursue, Guthrie said: “We’ve seen a lot of demands on socials from different fanbases asking us to tackle their game next, which is incredibly flattering. I won’t give anything away, but whenever we do take on a collab next, we’re going to stick to something that we can channel our genuine love into, which is I think the key ingredient that made this one work.”
It’s not just about the licensing. It’s all well and good getting permission to create a collaboration, but doing so in a way that already suits the brand’s style is another layer of challenge. Cool Shirtz, to those who aren’t familiar, is known for its bold, recognisable, almost cartoonish designs.
So when asked about whether or not blending this with Minecraft’s existing iconography was a challenge, Guthrie said “This is one of the reasons we felt this collaboration was so natural, Minecraft’s colourful style is very adjacent to what we do for our main line products, so it was a super easy pivot for us to work it into our clothing. Generally, our attitude is that as long as everything’s designed by us, the distinct style will evolve and unify naturally. We just make what we think is cool.”
With a restock planned for early 2026, alongside some additional items coming, it looks like Very Cool isn’t quite done with Minecraft yet either. To conclude, Guthrie said: “You’d think that with a near 70-piece collection we’d have run out of ideas… but there are still parts of this world we haven’t explored. Working with the Mojang team was incredibly creatively encouraging and fulfilling, so I definitely wouldn’t rule anything out for the future. For now, however, we’re excited to work on some of our own collections for at least a little bit.”