The latest patch in Minecraft has omitted a feature. The reason seems curious – there is concern that real animals could die.
A new patch is available in Minecraft as of today. The update with version number 1.19 is called “The Wild” and expands the game world with many interesting contents. There are new biomes, mangroves, ancient ruins, but also dark creatures, like the deadly Warden, who will hunt you down if you want to explore the secrets of the ancient civilizations.
However, one feature did not make it into the patch: fireflies.
Not because the developers did not have enough time, but for another reason. There is concern that some Minecraft players might kill frogs in real life.
What were fireflies supposed to be in Minecraft? Fireflies were meant to make the world a bit more lively and fly through the air as colorful sparks. At the same time, they were also supposed to serve as a food source for a new neutral mob: frogs.
Frogs were, according to the original plan, supposed to be able to feast on fireflies and hunt them as prey.
This has changed, and instead of fireflies, frogs now prefer to eat small slimes that they can encounter in the swamps. Sounds a lot healthier.
Why do the developers change this? Following the implementation of fireflies, there was a lot of feedback from the community and concerned animal lovers. Fireflies are often a threat to toads and frogs in the real world – they are toxic to these animals. Therefore, frogs should rather not be given fireflies to eat.
Even though Minecraft is, of course, a video game where different rules may apply compared to the real world, the developers take their responsibility towards players seriously. After all, Minecraft is played by all age groups, including many children. There is a reason why there is an “educational” version that can be used in schools, for example.
The answer is clear: They do not want to teach anyone in the game that it is okay to feed frogs with fireflies if they could be toxic to them in reality.
What else is in the patch? The major update “The Wild” not only brought frogs but also plenty of innovations and improvements. The complete list is quite long, but there are new biomes and areas to explore for adventurers, as well as new blocks for creative builders to experiment with. Especially cool: There is a way to turn mud into clay, thus producing endless bricks. This was not possible in the past.
How do you like patch 1.19 of Minecraft?
