The Microsoft Edge browser has a new icon, as the software moves further away from its Internet Explorer roots and into a modern version based on Google’s open-source Chromium engine.
Microsoft did not simply reveal the new logo though. Instead, it was the treasure at the end of an online Easter Egg hunt with several puzzles and clues that started on the official Microsoft Edge sub-Reddit. Steps in the process included rendering an icon as a 3D object and a secret surfing game.
The surfing game, the last step in the treasure hunt, is accessible through edge://surf on the Microsoft Edge browser. It resembles SkiFree, a classic game that was in Microsoft’s Entertainment Pack 3 for Windows that was released in 1991. For those interested in trying it out, the object of the game is to use the W, A, S, and D keys to navigate through the obstacles, while picking up speed boosts along the way.
Players who completed the surfing game and the online Easter Egg hunt, and those who waited for the results from the others who did so, found the new Microsoft Edge icon, which represents a new age for the company’s internet browser.
Microsoft saw its Internet Explorer lose to Google’s Chrome in the browser wars and the upgrade to Microsoft Edge did not help. This led to the decision to rebuild Microsoft Edge using Google’s Chromium engine, and the first beta of the project, released in August, showed promise. A bug bounty program for Chromium Edge was launched in the same month, inviting cybersecurity experts to identify vulnerabilities in the browser for rewards of up to $30,000.
Several new features for the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge may help it challenge Google Chrome’s dominance in the internet browser space. These include Collections, which allows users to quickly gather a list of webpages in a central hub with a click of a button, an updated Share functionality for improved integration with Windows, and better compatibility for webpages designed for older browsers.
The release date of the final version of the new Microsoft Edge remains unknown. However, with the reveal of the new logo, it is possible that an announcement is in store for the Microsoft Ignite conference, which will run from November 4 to November 8, 2019 in Orlando.