Mojang has been continually updating Minecraft since the moment it was released. From 1.0 to 1.17, updates have brought about some of the most interesting changes and some of the most exciting additions to the game. But which one is the best? Let me take you through the top 10 best updates, and why they are so great.
10. The Bountiful Update (1.8) - 2014
The Bountiful Update was a game changer (quite literally) for Minecraft players. It mostly aided in storytelling, as the newly added spectator mode allowed for an easier experience in creating adventure maps. New blocks, items, and even an extended command list allowed for a huge expansion with world customization and creation.
Did you know that this update also brought about the sea lantern and the ocean monument? These items brought an incredible new depth to the ocean biomes in every Minecraft world. What was once a barren wasteland now had something interesting to be sought out and explored.
This update is an incredible one. Adding spectator mode and a huge amount of decorative blocks allowed for players’ own stories to shine through. Minecraft has always been an incredible game, but what brought it out was this update. Adventure maps gave creators so much freedom to fully create whatever they wanted.
09. The World of Color Update (1.12) - 2017
The World of Color Update did bring its “world of color”—if that’s not too on the nose for you—to Minecraft. With the addition of concrete powder, you could create perfectly matte-colored blocks that brightened up any build you used. It also extended the number of builds that could even be made. You also could even dye beds now! While the bed color had always been a deep red, they could finally be changed to whatever color wool you built one with!
This update also added the parrot! This mob can be tamed and will attempt to sit on your shoulder at any chance it gets. Another tameable mob is always a great addition, but this one was definitely unlike the rest. Another fun fact: if you change your language to Pirate Speak, the game will refer to your tamed parrot as “Your Best Mate”
This update was incredible, especially given the fact that these colors enhanced the game’s look and experience. You could now create intricate builds with any color you’d like, matte or stylized with glazed terracotta. Giving players more creative freedom has always been the mission of Minecraft.
08. The Pretty Scary Update (1.4.2) - 2012
This update added four new mobs, wearable and placeable heads, and a new boss! With the additions of witches and wither skeletons, the game had so much more to be worried about! This is a survival game after all, and adding more monsters was definitely in store. It also added the Wither, the boss many of us may be familiar with as the only way to get that desirable Nether Star.
This update also allowed players to ride pigs using a carrot on a stick to guide them around! For a pretty scary update, this addition was a comic relief. For those of you whose chosen mount is the noble pig, you can thank this update for that!
Adding a new boss to a game added another achievement for a player to strive for. Without the Wither, there would be no beacons, which allow a huge advantage for players when they’re near one. Players received a new achievement to chase, and a new battle to face.
07. The Exploration Update (1.11) - 2016
This update was focused on new survival mode additions. With the addition of the new woodland mansion, with a rare chance of it spawning in a Roofed Forest biome, an adventure awaits! Exploring the mansion yielded high rewards, anything from the new item the Totem of Undying to more diamonds than you’ll know what to do with.
The update also added a feature that aided the use of the elytra. If you were to use a firework while flying with an elytra, you would get a temporary speed boost that could allow you to fly as far as you wanted (given you have enough fireworks).
The Exploration Update, as many of these updates do, allow the player more things to do with their world. Minecraft never wants its players to get bored, so these updates spark excitement when they roll in. There is so much to do and so much more to come!
06. Village and Pillage (1.14) - 2019
This update’s primary focus was villages and this update was long overdue! The villages in Minecraft got a huge overhaul in which they were redesigned to fit the biome they spawned in; desert, plains, savanna, and taiga biomes all received the makeover they needed. They also redesigned villagers’ clothes! They had a set look based on the biome they were in, but their job also changed their clothes, allowing them to look the part.
As mentioned in the title, pillagers were also added! This mob would spawn in the newly added pillager outposts, or when a raid triggered in a village, making the player have to fend off the attackers from killing all the inhabitants of a town! These raids are increasingly difficult based on the difficulty level your game is set on, but winning one of them can give you a huge advantage as the new “Hero of the Village.”
There were so many more additions in this update that I would have to dedicate a whole article to it to truly cover, which is what made this update one of the greatest. Sign variations, Bamboo Jungles, scaffolding, and so much more were added, which gave the game a much-needed revamp.
05. The Combat Update (1.9) - 2016
This update, if you couldn’t tell, focused on all things combat. It added tipped arrows, which, if a mob or player was hit with one, would apply whatever effect the tipped arrow was given. You could make sweep attacks with swords, and axes were made slower, but more powerful. Most importantly, though, they added shields. It was a huge bonus being able to shield from attacks while dual wielding your weapon.
This is also the same update in which end cities and the elytra were added! The End City was full of new mobs, more loot, and just more exploration overall. Being able to obtain an elytra also made traveling and exploring so much easier.
While this update added a lot for exploration and gameplay, it also added a lot to PvP multiplayer servers. Battles between players were made more strategic and intricate. Being able to use shields and axes made it more difficult, but also more exciting, to battle another player.
04. The Nether Update (1.16) - 2020
The Nether update focused on revamping the nether, and, much like the village and pillage update, it was a much-needed revamp. Before this, the nether become pretty repetitive after getting what you needed. Now, there is so much more to offer from new nether biomes to even the first new set of armor since Java Edition Indev in 2009!
Bastions were also added in this update. Protected and guarded by piglins and piglin brutes, these castles are filled with treasure that is too good to turn away. It is more of a late-game battle though, as the brutes do a hefty amount of damage. It’s that much more to strive for!
As the last dimension to be revamped, the Nether update generated a lot of excitement. Players who hadn’t touched Minecraft in a while came back to experience the changes. It brought the community together, but also helped it grow. This update was an amazing one to experience.
03. The Update That Changed the World (1.7) - 2013
This update was a major addition to the game, adding ten completely new biomes, all with their own various new blocks, items, and so much more. The most notable edition was the Mesa biome, though. It was filled with multiple colors of hardened clay and red sand that many players sought to obtain for themselves.
Among the many new biomes, acacia wood, and dark oak wood were also added. These orange and dark brown woods, respectfully, were a wonderful addition to the game. They also added many new flowers, all of which could be found in the newest flower forest.
This update paved the way for village and pillage, and it started a revamp of the way the world was created and viewed. Exploring and discovering new biomes has always been something that many players love to do, and adding this was like an homage to their very own players. Exploration has always been at the heart of Minecraft.
02. Update Aquatic (1.13) - 2018
This update was, in my opinion, one of the absolute best, which is why it ranks so high on this list. Before this update, the ocean biomes were a pretty bleak area. It was mostly just sand, water, and if you were lucky, an ocean monument. The developers used this update to bring life to the ocean, adding coral, dolphins, the new trident weapon, and even shipwrecks!
The addition of shipwrecks added so much more depth to the game as well, asking players, “where did they come from?” and “what story is Minecraft trying to tell?”. All of it added to the mystery and creativity that has always been a part of Minecraft. It was also beneficial to get another spot to obtain some pretty epic loot.
This update, soon to be followed by the nether update and the village and pillage update, added a huge advancement to the overworld’s look. With a more fully realized ocean, players had so much they could do in their world, with no shortage of areas to explore. It was truly an incredible update that launched the revamp of many other areas.
01. The Adventure Update (1.0.0)
This update added status effects, brewing, enchanting, breeding, The End, and so much more. With the addition of the End and the Ender Dragon, players officially had a goal: Kill the Ender Dragon and take her egg as their trophy. It was the beginning of an amazing game.
This update also added the Mushroom Island! It is an extremely rare spawn and is a biome filled with massive mushrooms and the lovable mushroom cow, the Mooshroom. It was an exciting addition to the game.
It would be wrong of me to create a list without including the Adventure Update. This marked the first official release of Minecraft and set the stage for all the amazing updates above to be made. Without this, Minecraft, as we know it today, would not exist. This game has always been one that is always changing, and I hope it continues to do so. Adventure is what Minecraft is made of, so go explore!
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