DUNDEE, SCOTLAND, July 29th, 2026 – 4J Studios, the independent Scottish game developer behind Minecraft’s Console Editions has created an innovative new graphics technology that solves an age-old issue for game developers and makes its player-facing debut in the Rixel Update for their pre-alpha title: Reforj.
While continuing to update Reforj with a host of exciting new features like Circuits and Maglevs, the team at 4J have also been working to radically develop the art style of the title. “We had a strong vision for the visual style of this game", said Art Director, David Keningale, "and we have been working with our community of Pioneers as well as the whole 4J team to bring that vision to reality. Rixels, and our whole new look and feel, is the latest outcome of that process”.
Rixels, short for Reforj Pixels, are part of a patent-pending graphics technology invented by 4J Studios that, as well as providing a new look to the game itself, tackles an ever-present challenge to game development. Rixels save over 98% of texture storage due to their unique technology, giving the developers more capacity and allowing the game to achieve its unique look without crippling storage requirements. To realize 4J's artistic vision Reforj’s initial textures were 512 x 512, adding up to a whopping 4MB per material; now, the Rixelised textures are typically 20 x 20, and only take up 72KB per material, saving over 98% of texture memory.
“The first-generation faceted graphics looked great, but achieving this look in a sustainable way remained a challenge for the team…” adds Keningale. “The Elements Engine team had a breakthrough moment when they combined vector graphics shapes with more traditional bitmap technology, based on the 2D versions of the 3D Elements shapes, using them as pixels to build every composition. This combination of vector shapes in a pixel grid is what are now called Rixels!”
Rixels also allow textures to maintain their sharpness while up close and personal. No matter how near the in-game camera is to a 3D Element, the texture never blurs, giving Reforj a pristine look that has never been seen before. Sculpted Elements and the use of Rixels reinforce Reforj’s unique visual identity.
4J Studios are committed to making Reforj a high-quality experience for all players, both now and further down the road. The advances in graphics technology for this update demonstrate this once again. Reforj runs at a consistently fast frame rate - destroying the entire world with Boomblocks, gliding through mountains, or encountering swarms of Scavengers - Reforj will always perform for every player, in any situation. The introduction of Rixels to Reforj is part of a technology roadmap that constantly aims to improve performance throughout the game.
Richard Reavy, CTO at 4J Studios, discusses the benefits of developing this new, in-house technology: "Rixels have helped us develop a unique visual style with our textures that is in keeping with the unique geometry of our world. We have a very crisp and clean look while using a fraction of our previous storage requirements."
For any budding Pioneers looking to immerse themselves in the newly Rixelised world of Reforj, the Rixel Update is available on the XBOX Insider Program for XBOX Series X|S consoles and is completely free to play! To join the Reforj community of Pioneers and keep up with any future announcements, head over to the Reforj Discord.
Assets from this announcement can be found here, and the trailer for this announcement can be watched here.
ENDS
About 4J Studios
4J Studios is an award-winning video game developer/publisher founded in Scotland in 2005 by Paddy Burns and Chris van der Kuyl, with offices in Edinburgh and Dundee. Known widely for developing Minecraft for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo consoles, 4J Studios adds “Joysticks” to the list of Dundee’s best-known innovations: Jute, Jam and Journalism. Now, the studio is working on their latest title, Reforj, available to play now on Xbox Insider. For more information about 4J Studios, please visit their website: https://4jstudios.com/
Alternatively, you can keep up with 4J Studios across their various social media platforms, listed below.
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