Despite being over a decade old, Minecraft is bigger and better than ever, with a player base that has continued to grow over the last 11 years. It's no easy feat, but somehow Minecraft has managed not only to stay relevant but to continue growing, and much of that has to do with the number of updates that have arrived to the game throughout its lifespan. Minecraft has received nearly 20 major updates since launch, each adding new biomes, mobs, ingredients, NPCs and much more.
But not all Minecraft updates are created equal. While all major updates add a healthy amount of content to the game, not all lived up to pre-release hype. But there's a good handful that did, and since then have served as reminders of how far Minecraft has come since launch.
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Check out below the best and biggest Minecraft updates since its launch
Minecraft Redstone Update
One of the first major updates that Minecraft Java Edition received was titled the Redstone Update, which was released in March 2013. It may not be the biggest update the game has ever received, but the Redstone Update added blocks that became indispensable to practically any Minecraft build.
14 new blocks were added with this update, including the activator rail, weighted pressure plate, and hopper, along with three new minecart variants, including the TNT variant. This update also brought Realms to Minecraft, which is the subscription service that allowed players to host their own private servers.
Moving now to 2018, another iconic Minecraft update was the Aquatic update, which brought a series of new content to the game, all focused on its oceans and underwater areas. Marking the first time a major update was released simultaneously across all platforms.
The Aquatic Update was released in September 2018 and brought different variants of trapdoor wood, Pressure Plates and Buttons to the game, along with 10 different types of coral blocks. The Trident weapon was added, along with a turtle shell that could be used as a helmet. A vast range of new Enchantments were also added, some of which granted the player greater swimming speed and unlimited underwater breathing. A series of new ocean-themed mobs also came along for the ride, as did the new wreck structures, which could be searched for sunken treasures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcutClmY1pI
Village and Pillage Update
One of the most iconic elements of early Minecraft were its Villagers, but beyond trading items with the player, they had little purpose in the game overall. The Village and Pillage update changed that after its release in 2019.
14 new stair blocks were added, along with 14 new slabs and 12 new walls. The Campfire was added, which can be used both as decoration and as a cooking utility. Bamboo, Scaffolding, Flowers, Bells and a whole range of new work benches came with this update, as did Dyes, Crossbow and new mobs like Cats and Foxes.
This update brought an unprecedented amount of content to Minecraft, making the game's Villagers stand out even more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcf9FM4TbN4
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One of the most major recent updates to Minecraft was the Nether Update, which arrived in the game in 2020. As the name suggests, this update focused on Minecraft's infamous Nether dimension and adds an impressive amount of content to that area.
New mobs like Piglins, Striders and Hoglins were introduced, along with a series of new structures like Bastion Remnants and Basalt Pillars. A total of four new biomes were added to the game, each with their respective blocks, items and mobs. This update also brought a refreshed soundtrack to the game, composed by Lena Raine from Celeste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DhWXAiNgfQ
Minecraft is now available for Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One.
