Minecraft 1.21 update FAQ: Release window, features, mobs, snapshots, and other questions answered

Minecraft isn’t just the best-selling video game of all time, it also counts among the most long-lived, thanks to 15 years of constant support from Mojang Studios. That impressive stream of updates isn’t ending any time soon, with another major release slated to hit Minecraft on all platforms later this year. The Minecraft 1.21 content update is coming, and it’ll be filled with new features, blocks, mobs, and more.

Like many past updates for one of the best Xbox games, Mojang is developing the 1.21 release alongside the community through early snapshots and previews, ahead of the still-unannounced full release. That means there’s more info available than for the average video game update; here’s everything you need to know about the Minecraft 1.21 update, including when it’ll arrive, what it’ll be called, and what features you can expect in it.

What is the Minecraft 1.21 update?

Best answer: The Minecraft 1.21 update is the long-running survival-crafting game’s major content update for the 2024 year.

Minecraft Live is the perfect opportunity for Mojang Studios to discuss the future of Minecraft, and Minecraft Live 2023 was no exception. That’s where the developer took the wraps off the Minecraft 1.21 update and showed off its first confirmed features, including the hostile Breeze mob, the challenging Trial Chambers, and the innovative Crafter block.

Mojang once again shows it knows how numbers work, as the Minecraft 1.21 update directly follows the Minecraft 1.20 ‘Trails & Tales’ update released in Summer 2023, this time with a focus on adventure. Mojang wants to make exploring Minecraft’s Overworld more interesting and exciting, while also delivering some long-requested features.

When will the Minecraft 1.21 update release?

Best answer: Mojang Studios has not confirmed an exact release date for the Minecraft 1.21 update, yet. However, it’s safe to assume that the studio is aiming for a Summer/mid-2024 release window, depending on how smoothly development goes.

In typical fashion, Mojang Studios is keeping its cards close to its chest until much closer to the official release of the Minecraft 1.21 update. Not only does that mean we may not know every new feature and significant change planned for the update, we also don’t have an exact release date for the upcoming update.

Based on previous Minecraft updates and current development time, however, it’s a safe assumption that the Minecraft 1.21 update should be arriving in Summer to mid-2024, later this year. As we get closer to that time period, Mojang Studios will finalize the update’s feature list, polish those features using community feedback, and prepare to announce the update’s name and release date.

Of course, we’ll update this space as soon as we know more. In the meantime, the “Trails & Tales” version of Minecraft may still see a few more minor updates with changes, improvements, and bug fixes, like the recent Minecraft: Bedrock Edition 1.20.60 update.

What will the Minecraft 1.21 update be called?

Best answer: The official title for the Minecraft 1.21 update hasn’t been announced yet, following Mojang Studios’ new policy of waiting until closer to release to actually name upcoming updates.

Following backlash from the controversial Minecraft 1.17 and 1.18 updates, Mojang Studios made some notable changes to how it develops and announces new Minecraft updates. Most notably, the developer now only announces new features when they’re already far along in development (and usually close to being released to Minecraft insiders for testing). Additionally, Mojang doesn’t officially name an update until it’s essentially feature complete.

That means the Minecraft 1.21 name is, as of now, still unnamed. We can take some wild guesses based on this content update’s theme of “adventure,” but ultimately the official title will be revealed later down the road, possibly influenced by the Minecraft community. Just like with the exact release date, you’ll have to wait a little while longer.

What new mobs are coming in Minecraft 1.21?

Best answer: Currently, there are three new mobs confirmed for the Minecraft 1.21 update. There’s the Breeze, a hostile wind-centric mob found in the new Trial Chambers; there’s the Armadillo, a neutral mob that can help equip your wolves with protective armor; finally, there’s the Bogged, a new Skeleton variant that fires poisonous arrows.

One of the most anticipated parts of any Minecraft content update is whether there will be new mobs added to the game’s growing roster. In the case of the Minecraft 1.21 update, the answer is a resounding “yes.” At this time, Mojang Studios has confirmed three new mobs that will be arriving with Minecraft 1.21; it’s unlikely that any other new mobs will be revealed at this point, but it’s not impossible for more to be announced in the future.

Let’s go over each of the three mobs and why you should care about them:

• The Breeze. This is a brand-new hostile mob that appears similar in form to the fiery Blaze from the Nether, but is designed around wind instead of fire. You can find Breezes in the new Trial Chambers, where they’ll pose a unique challenge for players to overcome.
  • Breezes are highly mobile with impressive jumping capabilities
  • They fire condensed balls of wind, which explode on contact with players and blocks
  • These wind projectiles deal small amounts of damage but significant knockback, and can also interact with different blocks like trapdoors, levers, and more
  • On death, the Breeze can drop Wind Charges, a new consumable item that can supercharge player jumps and deal knockback damage to enemies
• Armadillos. The winner of the Minecraft Live 2023 Mob Vote, Armadillos are adorable neutral mobs that wander the Savannah biome in the Overworld, and have some unique traits.
  • Armadillos periodically drop Scutes, a new item that can be used to craft Wolf Armor (which is pretty self-explanatory)
  • You can also brush Armadillos to obtain more Scutes
  • Armadillos can be led by their favorite food, Spider Eyes
  • When threatened or scared (by sprinting players, mounts, or undead mobs), Armadillos will roll up to protect itself
  • If the Armadillo detects no threats for three seconds, it’ll unroll and resume normal behavior
• The Bogged. This is the latest new mob confirmed to be coming in the Minecraft 1.21 update. The Bogged was announced on Valentine’s Day, and is another new hostile mob. It’s a little less exciting than the former two mobs, though, as it’s actually a new variant of an existing mob.
  • The Bogged is a moss-covered variant of the Skeleton
  • They can be found in Swamp and Mangrove biomes, and also appear in Trial Chambers alongside the Breeze
  • The Bogged fire poisonous arrows, which deal damage over time
  • To compensate, the Bogged fire a little slower and has a little less health than normal Skeletons
  • When killed, the Bogged have a chance to drop Arrows of Poison

What features are being added in Minecraft 1.21?

Best answer: The headlining feature for the Minecraft 1.21 is absolutely the new Trial Chambers, followed closely by the Redstone engineer’s dream, the Crafter. Other small features are also coming like Wolf Armor, Copper Bulbs, and more.

Many players may be clamoring over the new mobs coming in the Minecraft 1.21 update, but there are plenty of other features that have already been announced. Two in particular stand out above all the rest (the Trial Chambers and Crafter block), but there are a decent number of other small features and mechanics arriving in the update.

Unfortunately, something you won’t find mentioned here is a new biome. Mojang Studios hasn’t announced any plans to add a new biome to Minecraft in the upcoming update, and it seems like there simply aren’t any plans. I’ll go over all the confirmed features that are absolutely coming (most of which you can go test now in early Minecraft builds).

• Trial Chambers. The headlining feature of the Minecraft 1.21 update around which the theme of “adventure” revolves is the new Trial Chambers. These procedurally generated dungeons will appear underground throughout the Overworld, waiting to be discovered by skilled adventurers itching for a fresh challenge.
  • Trial Chambers will be constructed out of the copper and (new) tuff block sets
  • They’ll also be lit by the new Copper Bulbs
  • Trial Chambers will by labyrinthian strongholds filled with puzzles, traps, and hostile mobs like the new Breeze and Bogged
  • Players can explore Trial Chambers to find loot, and take on Trial Spawner challenges for exclusive, per-player rewards
• Trial Spawners. This is the feature that truly ties the Trial Chambers together. Sure, puzzles and traps are great, but Trial Spawners can be found where the puzzles and traps are heaviest, and pit players against set waves of hostile mobs.
  • Trial Spawners adjust their challenge level based on how many players are in the area
  • The Spawners will spawn a set number of hostile mobs (as part of a few predesigned categories of challenges) in the area in waves, which are persistent and spawn regardless of local light levels
  • Players must defeat all hostile mobs in order to clear the Trial Spawner challenge
  • Upon completion, the Trial Spawner will eject rewards and enter a 30-minute cooldown state
  • Trial Spawners cannot be crafted, picked up, or obtained in Survival, and are only found in Trial Chambers
• Trial Keys & Vaults. Another sub-feature of Trial Chambers, players can obtain Trial Keys after beating Trial Spawner challenges, which unlock Trial Vault chests for unique rewards.
  • Trial Vaults can be found in Trial Chambers, often near Trial Spawners
  • A Trial Key can be used only once to open a Trial Vault
  • Each Trial Vault can be opened by a player once, but every player can open that Trial Vault and receive their own rewards
  • This way, players that work in teams no longer have to fight over loot — everyone benefits for clearing Trial Chambers
• Crafter. Mojang is delivering a feature players have been requesting for years: automatic crafting.
  • Crafters can be crafted using a Crafting Block, Iron, and Redstone
  • Players can outline a specific recipe in the Crafter menu by filling slots with the necessary ingredients (in the correct order)
  • Individual slots can be locked in order to ensure that hoppers input ingredients correctly
  • When activated by a redstone signal (not continuous), Crafters will consume one ingredient from each slot and craft whatever item that recipe creates
• Copper Bulbs. The latest light source, Copper Bulbs are unique in that players can customize the strength of light emitted.
  • Copper Bulbs are crafted using Copper Blocks, Blaze Rods, and Redstone
  • These blocks can be placed just like any other block, similar to Redstone Lanterns
  • Also like the aforementioned block, Copper Bulbs are powered by redstone and can be toggled on and off
  • Comparators can read if Copper Bulbs are on and emit a redstone signal
  • Oxidization over time slowly dims the Copper Bulb
  • Players can wax Copper Bulbs at any point to freeze it at that level of oxidization (and light emission)
• Tuff block set. Finally, the purely decorative tuff blocks we all mostly ignore are getting a dedicated set of building blocks, which will feature prominently in the new Trial Chambers.
• Wind Charges. This is a new single-use, consumable item that can be obtained by defeating Breezes.
  • Defeating a Breeze can drop 4-6 Wind Charges
  • Players can use Wind Charges to fire a wind projectile similar to the Breeze
  • These projectiles have a smaller area-of-effect, but deal more knockback damage
  • Wind Charges can also be used to supercharge jumps and get to higher locations
  • Fall damage is mitigated as long as players land above where the Wind Charge was used
  • Wind Charges can be fired out of Dispensers
• Armadillo Scutes & Wolf Armor. I don’t need to go into detail about Armadillos again, but I will discuss Scutes and Wolf Armor a little more.
  • Armadillos drop Scutes periodically or when brushed (Dispensers can also be used)
  • Six Scutes can be used to craft Wolf Armor
  • Only the owner of a Wolf can equip or unequip (via shears) Wolf Armor
  • Wolf Armor has the same durability as Diamond Horse Armor
  • Wolves now also have twice as much health as before, and feeding heals twice as much
  • When a Wolf dies, it drops its Wolf Armor

How can I test the Minecraft 1.21 update early?

Best answer: Mojang Studios is already testing all announced Minecraft 1.21 features through Minecraft: Java Edition snapshots and the Minecraft Preview. You can also test some features through the experimental features section of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.

Mojang Studios historically develops all Minecraft updates alongside the community, collecting feedback on new features, existing bugs, and requested changes. It’s no different with the Minecraft 1.21 update, which has already been in testing as part of the Minecraft: Java Edition snapshots and Minecraft Preview (the beta version of the Bedrock Edition) since October of last year. Mojang has been regularly releasing new builds since then with more features and plenty of changes, polishes, and tweaks.

Right now, all of these experimental builds still fall under the “Minecraft 1.20” version number, with Mojang developing the next update in parallel to continued support for the current Minecraft version. As such, you can actually test some Minecraft 1.21 features in the current Minecraft: Bedrock Edition version, simply by enabling toggles in the experimental features section when creating a new world.

If you want to test all the latest Minecraft 1.21 features, though, you’ll need to download Minecraft Preview on Xbox, Windows PC, and mobile devices (the Android version requires opting into the beta), or download the latest Minecraft: Java Edition snapshots through the Minecraft Launcher. Bear in mind that these early builds tend to be less stable and bug-prone than the public version, and your worlds and progress will not carry over to the main game.

What platforms are getting Minecraft 1.21?

Best answer: The Minecraft 1.21 update will come to all modern versions of Minecraft, including Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile devices, as well as Minecraft: Java Edition on Windows PC, macOS, and Linux.

Minecraft is available on practically every modern gaming platform, and that means practically everyone will be able to explore the new features included in the Minecraft 1.21 update. To be precise, though, only Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition will be updated — older versions of Minecraft that are no longer supported (like older console-specific spin-offs) aren’t going to be included in the fun, of course.

That means the Minecraft 1.21 update will release on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch consoles, Windows PC, and Android and iOS mobile devices via the Bedrock Edition. It’ll also release for Windows PC, macOS, and Linux computers via the Java Edition. All platforms for each version will get the Minecraft 1.21 update simultaneously, but there may be a small difference between Bedrock and Java Edition releases, depending on how smoothly development goes.