On May 6, 2025, the quite small update “25w19a” was released for Minecraft. One of the new features, however, is currently causing quite a good mood in the community.
What is this new feature? In the official patch notes for update “25w19a,” it reads like a small detail: “The fog has been optimized for a better atmospheric perspective.” Additionally: “When it rains, it will be foggier.”
However, the difference in Minecraft is so positive that a post on Reddit regarding the new feature received more than 16,000 upvotes and over 250 comments in less than a day. Thread creator SigmaHold provided several comparison images:
Anyone wanting to know exactly what has been optimized in the fog can find the details in the “Shader fog changes” section of the patch notes – via minecraft.net:
- The fog is now divided based on ambient and render distance.
- Previously, these two concepts were mixed.
- Ambient fog is intended to represent the “fog formation” of the environment the player is in: lava, water, and now also atmosphere.
- Render distance fog is intended to darken the edge of the visible terrain.
- Ambient fog uses a spherical distance to determine its intensity, while render distance fog uses a cylindrical distance.
- The resulting fog value for any vertex is the maximum of both.
Nostalgic Journey Back to Xbox 360
What is the community saying? Some fans feel nostalgic looking at the images, recalling old Minecraft days, while others praise the atmosphere conveyed by the snow and fog.
- aforlornpenguin writes on Reddit: “The snow looks so pleasantly atmospheric.”
- Godzilla_R0AR adds on Reddit: “I love the whole ambient vibe in this new update.”
- jidannyc makes a nostalgic comparison on Reddit: “It feels like the gamma of the Xbox 360.”
- Kindly-Ad-9742 agrees on Reddit: “Old Minecraft vibe.”
- SeanWasTaken praises on Reddit: “Great change, this looks much more atmospheric.”
How do you like the new fog? Are you in the mood for a round of Minecraft again? When was the last time you played? Share it in the comments!
How is Minecraft doing at the moment? Mojang and Microsoft’s sandbox adventure is still thriving 16 years after the launch of the early-access version of the Java Edition. On Twitch, Minecraft regularly ranks in the top 10 most-watched games (via sullygnome.com). There are constant new updates, content, or events – most recently for Star Wars Day.
And thanks to the new movie – featuring stars like Jack Black and Jason Momoa – there has even been an expansion of the popular game franchise to the big screen in recent months – and with incredible success: The movie about Minecraft has a big problem, and that is not the film, but the audience.
