Minecraft announces version 1.21 update features, 2023 mob vote winner, Star Wars: Path of the Jedi DLC, more
Original (10/15):Minecraft Live 2023 took place just a short while ago, and announced the latest news surrounding the franchise including version 1.21 update features for the main game, the 2023 mob vote winner, Star Wars: Path of the Jedi DLC, and more.
The next big update is planned for mid-2024. Fans can expect the trial chamber, breeze mob, and other elements.
As for the 2023 mob vote winner in Minecraft, armadillo was ultimately the winner with 42.3 percent of the votes. Crab followed with 32.5 percent and the penguin rounded things out with 25.2 percent.
Minecraft already had Star Wars collaboration DLC, but now a collaboration is planned with Star Wars: Path of the Jedi. This will be available on November 7, 2023.
Here’s the full rundown on all of the news:
KEY 1.21 FEATURES ANNOUNCED
Minecraft Live usually has a few secrets up its sleeves, and this year was no exception! Game director Agnes Larsson and a few Minecraft developers unveiled some of the key features heading to Minecraft as part of next year’s update. And wow did they have an adventure uncovering them! While next year’s update doesn’t have a name yet, I’m going to call it “1.21” for now, even though it’ll be coming midway through 2024. Yay, numbers!
Agnes and level designer Matthew “Moesh” Dryden stepped into one of the new structures being developed: the trial chamber! The trial chamber is a sprawling structure of corridors and rooms that are packed with traps, trial spawners, mobs, loot, and more. The trial chamber is procedurally generated, which means you’ll face a new challenge each time you enter! And thanks to the trial spawner, a cunning device which spews out mobs, the challenge level will adjust based on the number of adventurers in your party.
Agnes, game designer Cory Scheviak, and game developer Magnus Puig De La Bellacasa also met a playful (but dangerous) new mob! The breeze is a hostile mob that likes to leap dizzying circles around its opponent, and attack using the power of wind. Agnes and game artist Sarah Boeving also showed us some of the new decorative tuff and copper blocks, as well as copper bulbs, which can be toggled on and off using redstone pulses. We also saw crafters, which use redstone for automated crafting! Because can you ever have too many hanging signs?
MINECRAFT LEGENDS GETS ANOTHER UPDATE!
Minecraft Legends has let us fight alongside creepers, save the Overworld, and (most importantly to many) pet llamas! But the tale is not over quite yet. Principal design director Craig Leigh joined us at Minecraft Live to discuss how far Minecraft Legends has come as well as what’s coming up next.
In the first major update, released in August, we made some important changes and additions to the game, like custom campaigns and PvP, world waypoints, enhanced Banner View, improved pathfinding, and (my personal favorite – yes, you’re noticing a trend) petting animals. Heroes have also had the chance to test their skills in the Lost Legends, free challenges we’ve released every month, ranging from defeating waves of piglins to playing as a llama.
Craig also revealed some exciting new features that are coming in Minecraft Legends’ second major update, its biggest one yet. In a ribbiting twist, heroes will now be able to hop into battle on the fearless frog, a brave mount that can swim faster and jump higher than any other steed. Plus, heroes will gain a new ally in battle: the mysterious witches, who are ready to use their potions against the piglins! And speaking of, the pesky piglets also have some surprises in store: the clanger, a very loud and unnervingly long piglin, alongside the air chopper, a very… slicy piglin structure that will push your units back with strong gusts of spore-filled air. Yes, it’s as fun (and gross) as it sounds!
Keep an eye out for the upcoming Lost Legends in mid-November and early December, and the new update later this year!
STAR WARS RETURNS TO MINECRAFT!
During the show, Vu Bui got a visit from none other than R2D2! Apparently, a spot in the Jedi ranks has opened up, and it has my name on it! Fine, maybe it has yours on it too, but who can truly master the Force we will see on November 7 when the Star Wars: Path of the Jedi DLC lands on Minecraft Marketplace!
This DLC is set during the Clone Wars and you will train with Grand Master Yoda, Mace Windu, and the other Jedi as a young Padawan. Rise to the rank of Jedi Knight and set out on missions to biomes far, far away. Rumor has it you will battle galactic monsters, explore unchartered planets, and maybe even meet the dark side…! The exact details are for Jedi Knights only, so you will find out more once you learn how to swing your lightsaber.
As if that wasn’t exciting enough, everyone gets their own customizable lightsaber and droid! No doubt I will spend many moons creating my little droid buddy and trying on new Jedi robes too!
All that and plenty more fun can be found in the Star Wars: Path of the Jedi DLC on November 7. See you in hyperspace, young Padawan!
PLANET EARTH III DLC
Minecraft Live also revealed that BBC Studios and Minecraft Education are teaming up once again to reimagine Earth’s most intriguing corners (and creatures!) into an explorable, blocky format!
Planet Earth III, created by BBC Earth, is appearing on screens next year, followed by the new DLC coming to both Minecraft Education and Minecraft Marketplace soon after! You’ll be able to play through some of our planet’s most extreme biomes, meet some of the show’s main characters, and delve deeper into the stories of Planet Earth III in the new DLC.
MOB VOTE WINNER
Congratulations to the armadillo, for receiving the most community votes, and being the next mob to join Minecraft forever!
The armadillo lives in the savannah biome. If you startle the armadillo, it will curl up into a blocky ball! The armadillo also drops a scute that you can use to craft a new type of armor, wolf armor! Which will give your pet wolf some extra protection.
While the mob vote has closed, the event server is open for the next 24 hours! This means you have another day to play mob-tastic mini-games, meet the hosts of Minecraft Live, indulge in a spot of parkour, and finish that scavenger hunt!
Update (11/7): The new Star Wars DLC has now been released, and we have a trailer. Check it out below.
