Minecraft Major Updates

Minecraft has been updated for free since its full release in November 2011. For more than a decade Mojang shipped one big named update a year, ending with Tricky Trials in June 2024. Since then the game gets game drops – smaller themed updates several times a year. In 2026 the version numbers switched to the year: 26.1, 26.2, 26.3 and soon 26.4.

Where Minecraft stands now

Every major update, oldest first

Use the buttons to filter by big yearly updates, Bedrock milestones and game drops. Java version numbers are shown unless stated.

All 32Major updateBedrock milestoneGame dropComing soon

The early years5Combat, exploration & Bedrock6Aquatic to the Nether4Caves & Cliffs to Trails & Tales5Tricky Trials & the first drops4Game drops of 20254Game drops of 20264

The early years

2011–2013 · 5 updates

Adventure Update

Major update · Beta 1.8 (September 2011) and full release 1.0 on November 18, 2011 · hunger, villages, strongholds, the End, the Ender Dragon, enchanting and brewing

Pretty Scary Update

Major update · 1.4.2 · October 25, 2012 · the Wither, witches, bats and beacons

Redstone Update

Major update · 1.5 · March 13, 2013 · hoppers, comparators, daylight sensors and Nether quartz

Horse Update

Major update · 1.6.1 · July 1, 2013 · horses, donkeys, mules, leads and carpets

The Update that Changed the World

Major update · 1.7.2 · October 25, 2013 · a big overhaul of world generation with many new biomes such as savannas, mesas (badlands) and ice spikes

Combat, exploration & Bedrock

2014–2017 · 6 updates

Bountiful Update

Major update · 1.8 · September 2, 2014 · ocean monuments and guardians, rabbits, banners, slime blocks and armor stands

Combat Update

Major update · 1.9 · February 29, 2016 · shields, off-hand slot, attack cooldown, End cities, shulkers and the Elytra

Read our guide →

Frostburn Update

Major update · 1.10 · June 8, 2016 · polar bears, husks, strays, magma blocks and fossils

Exploration Update

Major update · 1.11 · November 14, 2016 · woodland mansions, illagers, the Totem of Undying, explorer maps and llamas

World of Color Update

Major update · 1.12 · June 7, 2017 · concrete, glazed terracotta and parrots

Better Together Update

Bedrock milestone · Bedrock 1.2 · September 20, 2017 · unified the console, mobile and Windows 10 versions as Bedrock Edition with cross-play

Aquatic to the Nether

2018–2020 · 4 updates

Update Aquatic

Major update · Java 1.13 · July 18, 2018 · drowned, dolphins, turtles, tridents, coral reefs, shipwrecks and phantoms

Village & Pillage

Major update · 1.14 · April 23, 2019 · redesigned villages and villagers, pillagers, raids, the wandering trader and foxes

Buzzy Bees

Major update · 1.15 · December 10, 2019 · bees, beehives, honey and honeycomb

Nether Update

Major update · 1.16 · June 23, 2020 · four new Nether biomes, piglins, hoglins, striders, bastion remnants, netherite and the respawn anchor

Caves & Cliffs to Trails & Tales

2021–2023 · 5 updates

Caves & Cliffs: Part I

Major update · 1.17 · June 8, 2021 · copper, amethyst, axolotls, goats, glow squid, powder snow and the spyglass

Caves & Cliffs: Part II

Major update · 1.18 · November 30, 2021 · new world generation with taller mountains, deeper worlds (Y -64 to 320), lush and dripstone caves

The Wild Update

Major update · 1.19 · June 7, 2022 · the Deep Dark, the Warden, ancient cities, mangrove swamps, frogs and the allay

Trails & Tales

Major update · 1.20 · June 7, 2023 · archaeology, the sniffer, camels, cherry groves, armor trims and hanging signs

Bats and Pots

Game drop · 1.20.3 · December 5, 2023 · new bat model and improved decorated pots – later counted as the first game drop

Tricky Trials & the first drops

2024 · 4 updates

Armored Paws

Game drop · 1.20.5 · April 23, 2024 · armadillos, wolf armor and eight new wolf variants

Tricky Trials

Major update · 1.21 · June 13, 2024 · Trial Chambers, the breeze, the bogged, the crafter, ominous trials and the mace – the last big yearly update

Read our guide →

Bundles of Bravery

Game drop · 1.21.2 · October 22, 2024 · bundles, and Hardcore mode on Bedrock

The Garden Awakens

Game drop · 1.21.4 · December 3, 2024 · the Pale Garden, pale oak wood, the Creaking and resin

Game drops of 2025

2025 · 4 updates

Spring to Life

Game drop · 1.21.5 · March 25, 2025 · warm and cold farm animal variants, leaf litter, wildflowers and other nature blocks

Chase the Skies

Game drop · 1.21.6 · June 17, 2025 · the Happy Ghast, the locator bar, craftable saddles and Vibrant Visuals on Bedrock

The Copper Age

Game drop · 1.21.9 · September 30, 2025 · the Copper Golem, copper chests, copper tools and armor, and shelves

Mounts of Mayhem

Game drop · 1.21.11 · December 9, 2025 · spears, the Nautilus and nautilus armor, zombie horsemen, camel husks, the parched and netherite horse armor

Game drops of 2026

2026 · 4 updates

Tiny Takeover

Game drop · Java 26.1 / Bedrock 26.10 · March 24, 2026 · new models for baby mobs and rabbits, the golden dandelion and craftable name tags

Chaos Cubed

Game drop · Java 26.2 / Bedrock 26.30 · June 16, 2026 · Sulfur Caves, sulfur springs, sulfur and cinnabar blocks and the Sulfur Cube

Wilderness Bound

Game drop · Java 26.3 / Bedrock 26.50 · September 15, 2026 · the Dappled Forest, poplar wood, abandoned camps, straw beds, cushions and improved maps

Winter drop 2026

Coming soon · Java 26.4 / Bedrock 26.70 · Q4 2026, name and date not yet announced · Ice Caves, the Frostbite, the Freezing effect and brittle ice

Read our guide →

Section images: official Minecraft trailers (Minecraft / YouTube).

Good to know

Every update comes to both Java Edition (PC) and Bedrock Edition (consoles, mobile and Windows), and in recent years both editions get each drop on the same day. Java players can try features early in snapshots, Bedrock players in Preview builds – see our 26.4 Snapshot 3 preview.