Minecraft 1.20: Everything we know about Minecraft 1.20

Want to learn about Minecraft 1.20? Minecraft 1.20, the next major update for Minecraft, was announced at Minecraft Live 2022. The team have said that they will not share a name or full feature list for Minecraft 1.20 just yet, as they don’t want to disappoint players by possibly changing or retracting aspects during development. However, there are still plenty of exciting details to discover, including new animals, blocks, and more!

In this guide, we’ll break down everything we know about Minecraft 1.20, including when you can access these features in the Snapshot and Preview branches, and any new mobs, items, biomes, and blocks set to arrive in the Minecraft 1.20 update.

Minecraft 1.20 expected release date

No exact release day has yet been given, but we do know that Minecraft 1.20 will launch later this year, sometime in 2023. However, Java snapshots and betas in Bedrock Edition have been available since October 2022, so if you are okay with playing a potentially buggy and unoptimised pre-release, then you can start trying out the new features of Minecraft 1.20 right now.

Those on Minecraft Java edition can access the new Minecraft 1.20 Snapshot by opening the Minecraft Launcher, pressing the arrow next to the Play button, and selecting the latest Snapshot. Make sure to activate Experimental Features to ensure that Minecraft 1.20 content is active in your world.

Those on Minecraft Bedrock edition must also open the Minecraft Launcher, and then head to the Minecraft Preview tab. Install the Preview branch and then make sure to activate Experimental Features in your world.

What’s coming in Minecraft 1.20?

Minecraft 1.20 is aiming to make Minecraft feel “Minecraft-ier”, with the developers focusing on expanding player creativity, self-expression, and intrinsic motivation. Essentially, that means Minecraft 1.20 should inspire Minecraft players to be more creative and explore in new ways, while also making them feel more at home in the game.

Below, you’ll find a list of everything coming in Minecraft 1.20, covering everything from new biome types to new mobs, building blocks, and entirely new systems of mechanics.

Minecraft 1.20 archeology system

Revealed in a Minecraft blog post in mid-February 2023, the Archeology system will allow players to use the new Brush tool to excavate items from new "suspicious sand" blocks located in deserts and other sandy areas.

By using your Brush on suspicious sand blocks, you can reveal random objects trapped inside - some of which will be new Pottery Shard items. Pottery Shards can have various patterns painted on them - perhaps it's a skull, or a diamond, or a human... Combine four Pottery Shards of your choice in your inventory and you'll create a Pot - a unique decorative block which you can display around your latest Minecraft house.

Minecraft 1.20 new mobs: Camels and the Sniffer

Mojang has confirmed that Minecraft 1.20 will have at least two new mobs: Sniffers and Camels. You can learn more about both of these new mobs coming in Minecraft 1.20 below.

Sniffer

The Sniffer is an ancient mob, once thought to be extinct from the world of Minecraft. However, you can hatch one for yourself by retrieving a Sniffer Egg from suspicious sand in deserts (part of the new Archeology system in 1.20). Once hatched, the baby Snifflet will soon grow up into full-fledged Sniffer - a large, adorable duckbilled creature which spends its days sniffing out Ancient Seeds. Upon retrieving an Ancient Seed from a Sniffer, you can plant it to grow new types of plants and flowers.

The Sniffer wa the winner of the Minecraft Live 2022 mob vote, earning over half of the total votes cast, and you can witness and befriend it for yourself once 1.20 rolls around later in 2023.

Camels

Camels are a new mount that you can ride in Minecraft 1.20, but there are two huge differences to the standard horse. Firstly, Camels have a dash feature that allows them to quickly cross chasms and ravines without falling and taking damage. Secondly, two players can ride a Camel at once, with the back player able to aim and fire a bow at any nearby enemies. This makes them great for going on adventures, as you can have one player focus on riding while another defends them from any hostile mobs that appear along the way.

To breed Camels, you must feed them a piece of cactus. They will then enter love mode and make a baby Camel. Cactus is commonly found in the desert, where you will also encounter the new Camel mob in Minecraft 1.20.

Minecraft 1.20 new blocks: Bamboo, Hanging Signs, and Chiselled Bookshelf

Minecraft 1.20 will introduce players to a brand new Cherry Blossom wood set and a new Bamboo wood type, along with the Hanging Signs and Chiselled Bookshelf blocks. Learn more about these new blocks below.

Cherry Blossom Wood (and variants)

The major product of the gorgeous new Cherry Blossom biome is its tree wood, which can be crafted into a full wood set like oak and birch. This Cherry wood has a lovely pink tint to each of its blocks, and is bound to give builders a medley of brand new Minecraft build ideas once 1.20 comes about.

Bamboo

Bamboo is another new wood type coming in Minecraft 1.20. You can use it to craft any blocks that you can usually craft with wood, such as doors, stairs, and trapdoors, and it has a gorgeous new design.

However, you can also use Bamboo to craft the new Bamboo Mosaic block, which functions similarly to a plank but has two large rectangles on each face. The Bamboo Mosaic block is one of the new options that players have to show their artistic flair in Minecraft 1.20.

Finally, you can also use Bamboo to create a Raft, which is a Bamboo variant of the boat block. The Raft functions identically to the Boat, but it has a new aesthetic that Mojang say should help players feel more adventurous as they explore the world.

Hanging Signs

Hanging Signs are another new block type coming in Minecraft 1.20. However, they should feel familiar in practice, as Hanging Signs are used like normal Signs to write messages, notes, or otherwise mark things around your world.

You can craft a Hanging Sign using Stripped Logs and Chains. You can then place it in three different ways to create some subtly different variants of the Hanging Sign.

When hung from a wide block, such as planks, the Hanging Sign will have two chains hanging vertically on the top two corners. When hung from a narrow block, such as a fence post, the Hanging Sign’s chains will attach to the sign diagonally. You can also place Hanging Signs from the side of a block, which will make them stick out on a small rod extending from the block.

Chiselled Bookshelf

The final new block that’s currently announced for Minecraft 1.20 is the Chiselled Bookshelf, and it’s also the most exciting. The Chiselled Bookshelf allows you to properly store your books, rather than ditching them all in a chest. You can then pull off individual books by hovering over them, so you don’t need to hop into an inventory menu.

Perhaps the best part for us nerds obsessed with building new house ideas, though, is the ability to interact with the Chiselled Bookshelf using Redstone. You can use Redstone to make the Chiselled Bookshelf remember the last book that you interacted with, which you can then use to open the bookshelf and reveal a secret passage or room in your base. That means you can make hidden dungeons! Cue evil laugh!

That wraps up everything we know about Minecraft 1.20, but there’s plenty more Minecraft on the way! Mojang also announced seven new default skins at Minecraft Live 2022, which are set to arrive later this year. They also revealed the new Fauna Faire update for Minecraft Dungeons, and showed off new Minecraft Legends gameplay. If all the Minecraft mayhem has you itching to jump back into a blocky world, take a look at our list of the best Minecraft 1.19 seeds and the best Minecraft 1.19 shaders.