Patch 1.20 of Minecraft is nearing completion. We reveal what’s in the next update – and which great features will soon be introduced.
Meanwhile, several months have passed since the last update for Minecraft was released. The Patch 1.19 named “The Wild” elicited mixed feelings. While many innovations were well-received, there was also criticism that the update did not live up to its grand name.
With the upcoming Update 1.20, Mojang took a different approach and revealed the name only when the number of features was established. Update 1.20 will be titled “Trails and Tales”, which translates to “Pfade und Geschichten” in German. This is because the patch primarily brings features related to world building while also making it easier for players to tell and document their own stories.
Of course, the “Trails and Tales” update is also packed with new features for explorers and collectors. The large cherry groves are particularly eye-catching and are likely to be highly sought after.
When will Patch 1.20 be released? There is no exact release date yet for Patch 1.20. However, since the major features are now fully known, only final adjustments should take place in the coming weeks and months. As soon as there is a reliable release date, we will update this information. So far, only the release in 2023 has been confirmed.
New Biome: Cherry Grove
If you have a penchant for Asian aesthetics or simply think that Minecraft could use more pink, you will be pleased with the new biome full of cherry trees at their peak bloom. The relatively smaller trees with large, flat canopies can be easily recognized from a distance due to their color.
Cherry wood is a brand new type of wood with which you can create your structures. If you want to plant cherry trees near your home, you can find saplings and plant them at home. Pigs, sheep, and bees can be found in large numbers here. Generally, it is a relatively peaceful biome.
How frequently this type of forest occurs is still unclear – it is likely to be a rather rare sight.
New Mob Type: Sniffer
The Sniffer (probably translating to “Schnüffler”) was chosen in 2022 as the mob that will be added to the game. To the surprise of many, the Sniffer is significantly larger than the player.
Sniffers are passive mobs – they never attack, even when provoked. In the wild, the animals “sniff” at regular intervals, thereby locating seed grains. Occasionally, they find seeds for the “Torchflower”, which, as a complete flower, is the Sniffer’s favorite food. The seeds can be planted and harvested after a while.
Like most animals, you can breed the Sniffer by feeding two specimens, in this case with a “Torchflower”. This will result in a Sniffer baby, which takes a few days to grow up.
The Torchflower can be used to create orange dye, otherwise has no use aside from breeding Sniffers, and serves merely as new decoration.
If you kill a Sniffer, it can drop a moss block, which can otherwise only be found in special caves.
You won’t encounter Sniffers in the wild. You need to find an egg via archaeology in “suspicious sand” and then hatch it. As a small “Snifflet”, it takes a while to grow.
New Feature: Archaeology
Archaeology has long been announced as a feature for Minecraft, and with Patch 1.20, it is finally here. Here you can create a brush with 3 threads and 2 sticks. With the brush, you can search for “suspicious sand” – which is mainly found near desert pyramids and desert wells.
With the brush, you can work on the suspicious sand and uncover archaeological finds. These can be valuable materials like diamonds, emeralds, or even TNT, but also vessel shards with patterns – and even an intact Sniffer egg.
Four of these shards can then be transformed into decorative clay pots. Depending on which clay shards are used, there are different patterns from the Minecraft world – such as a jewel, the skull of a skeleton, or a cheering person.
The feature gives the impression that it could be easily expanded in the future with new “excavations” and treasures.
Cosmetic Armor Customizations
Are you tired of all players in Minecraft wearing the same armor? That is likely to change with the next patch. Because in various buildings and structures in the Minecraft world, you will soon find “smithing templates”. With these, you can modify existing equipment to create your own design. There are 11 different customizations, each with 10 different color options. This allows for 110 different options, so you can choose a special uniform for your group of players.
Especially on PvP servers, this is likely to be well-received to visually distinguish your faction from the rest, but in general, a uniform or individual look in armor is a welcome change.
Netherite Tools Are Harder to Obtain
Netherite weapons and tools are the “be-all and end-all” in Minecraft – and currently too easy to obtain. Therefore, in the upcoming update, it will be more difficult to obtain the sought-after items. You will need, in addition to the Netherite ingot, a smithing template to carry out the corresponding upgrade. You will only find these templates in the ruins of bastions in the Nether – so you will need to search for a while to obtain the best equipment.
New Blocks and Objects
In addition to the new larger gameplay features, there are, of course, also a number of new blocks and objects that can be built to beautify the game world and create new looks. These new items include:
Bamboo Wood: 9 bamboo pieces can now be combined into a bamboo block. From this, you can create wooden planks and then all other types of wood products, such as stairs, slabs, fences, doors, and so on.
Chiseled Bookshelf: An expanded form of bookshelves where you can store books and enchanted books. You can now fill an entire library with your stories and enchantments without needing to set up chests.
Brush: The brush is needed for conducting archaeology in deserts. You can use it to search for gems and relics in suspicious sand.
Pink Flowers: These are small flowers that occur naturally only in the cherry blossom forest. You can collect them and place up to 4 on a dirt block (similar to sea cucumbers). With bone meal, you can create more flowers. From the flowers, you can directly obtain pink dye.
Hanging Signs: You will soon be able to make signs that not only stand on the ground or “stick” to walls but also hang down. This creates interesting new possibilities, such as creating street signs and building labels. Creative minds can surely build other structures from this.
Note that most major features already mean a variety of visual changes for Minecraft. The implementation of two new types of wood (cherry and bamboo) alone ensures that you have many more color options.
Are you looking forward to the new Minecraft update?
If you have a bit more processing power, you should try shaders in Minecraft.
