Since its full release in 2011, Minecraft has had a long list of big free updates. Each one added new blocks, mobs, biomes and ideas. Here is a simple overview of the major updates and what they brought to the game.
2011: 1.0, the full release
Released at MineCon. It added the End, the Ender Dragon, enchanting, brewing and the hardcore spirit of beating the game. See the history of Minecraft for what came before.
2012 to 2017: building the game we know
- Pretty Scary Update (2012): the Wither, item frames, flower pots and more.
- Redstone Update (2013): comparators, hoppers, droppers and daylight sensors.
- Horse Update (2013): horses, donkeys and mules.
- Bountiful Update (2014): ocean monuments and guardians, banners, new stone types.
- Combat Update (2016): the offhand, shields, the End changes and new combat on Java.
- Exploration Update (2016): woodland mansions, explorer maps and illagers.
- World of Color (2017): glazed terracotta, concrete and parrots.
2018: Update Aquatic
Oceans came alive with dolphins, turtles, coral reefs, shipwrecks, the trident, drowned and phantoms.
2019: Village & Pillage and Buzzy Bees
Villages were rebuilt with new designs for each biome, villagers got jobs, and pillagers began raiding. Later that year bees and honey arrived.
2020: Nether Update
The Nether got new biomes, piglins, hoglins, striders, bastions and the strongest material in the game: netherite.
2021: Caves & Cliffs
The biggest world change in Minecraft history, in two parts. Part 1 added goats, axolotls, glow squid and copper. Part 2 made the world much taller and deeper, with huge caves, new mountains and deepslate. The world now goes down to Y -64.
2022: The Wild Update
Deep dark cities and the Warden, mangrove swamps, frogs and the allay.
2023: Trails & Tales
Archaeology, cherry groves, camels, sniffers, armor trims and the new way to upgrade to netherite.
2024: Tricky Trials
Trial chambers, the breeze, the mace, the crafter and the armadillo with wolf armor.
Late 2024 onward: game drops
Mojang moved to smaller updates several times a year, called game drops. They brought things like bundles, the pale garden and the creaking, new animal variants, the happy ghast, and copper themed content. Bedrock also got Vibrant Visuals in 2025.
Keep your packs up to date
Big updates can break older add-ons. If a pack stops working after an update, check for a new version. See add-on not working? Common fixes.
