Java Edition version history/Development versions

Starting in the period between Beta 1.7.3 and Beta 1.8, Mojang began to publicly release testing versions of full updates in order to get major feedback, especially for bug reporting, so that the official update is considerably more stable. While these versions were public, they were not auto-installed by the game and are completely optional.

In Beta, these versions went under the tag of "Pre-Release", candidates subject to release for 1.0.0 as "RC#", and post-1.0.0 were given a name under a special syntax (see below).

To install a development version, simply download the minecraft.jar file, place "minecraft.jar" in your .minecraft/bin/ directory and run Minecraft as usual. For GNU/Linux, some extra work needs to be done to get the 1.3/1.4 snapshots going.

Note: This is not a page for reporting bugs; they should be posted on the relevant Issues page instead.

Weekly Snapshots
The format for the snapshots is YYwWWx.

YY is the two-digit year, WW is the two-digit week number within the year, and x is a unique identifier, starting with "a", in case there is more than one release per week, and "w" simply stands for "week".

Minecraft 1.4 (The Pretty Scary Update) Snapshots & Pre-releases
{| class="collapsible wikitable" style="width:100%" |- !width="75"|Version !width="90"|Date of Addition !Additions Summary !width="80"|Download | 1.4 Pre-release | October 19, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w42b | October 18, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w42a | October 17, 2012 |
 * Level cap on anvils removed in creative mode.
 * New sound effects for the Wither, Bats, the Anvil and Ender Dragon.
 * New sound effects for Zombies. (Curing a Zombie, infecting a Villager and a Remedy sound).
 * Falling sand now properly “pops” when falling on non-solid blocks (such as torches).
 * The redstone repeater lock mechanism is now slightly more stable / predictable. It’s still not 100% as Mojang wants it, but fixing it completely will require bigger changes planned for Minecraft 1.5.
 * Fixed tooltip width for renamed items.
 * Added a number of sound events, but the sound effects are not added yet.
 * Added new step sound for silverfish.
 * Added three new sound effects for zombies.
 * Added new sounds for zombiepigman.
 * Added Bat Sounds.
 * (More sounds to come)
 * Server ping will now tell if the server and client have mismatching protocol versions.
 * Updated translation files.
 * Server IPs can now be individually hidden
 * Changed repeaters
 * When powering the either side of a repeater directly with another repeater, it will lock the current state of the other repeater until the signal to the powering repeater is turned off.
 * If a repeater that is on is locked, it will stay on.
 * If a repeater that is off is locked, it can not output a signal
 * When locked, the repeater's second torch will no longer be visible and a bar textured similarly to bedrock will appear
 * Anvil tweaks
 * New crafting recipe, now is 31 iron ingots instead of 55
 * Minor visual changes
 * The player can repair tools and armor using their source material. To get a tool or piece of armor to its maximum durability when it is nearly broken, one must use four of its source material (wooden planks, cobblestone, iron, gold or diamonds). However, hoes are not able to be repaired.
 * Reduced experience level cost
 * Bats no longer trample crops, activate pressure plates or tripwire
 * Updated language file

| Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w41b | October 12, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w41a | October 11, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w40b | October 5, 2012 |
 * Anvils will be damaged by falling depending on distance fallen.
 * Added a new Anvil Block for repairing, merging & naming items.
 * Three different damage states: Anvil, Slightly Damaged Anvil, and Very Damaged Anvil.
 * Anvils can not only rename tools and armor, but any item.
 * Renamed placeable items will not retain their name if placed.
 * Anvils can merge enchantments
 * Items with two different enchantments will give an item with both
 * Items with the same enchantment will increase the level of the enchantment if they have the same level or take only the highest if they don't
 * Some enchantments can be lost during the merging because of incompatibility (ex: Sharpness I + Smite I)
 * The first item seems to have the priority (the lost enchantments are on the second item)
 * Anvils can also be dropped in a similar manner to Sand, Gravel, and Dragon Eggs.
 * When landing on a mob, the anvil will deal damage relative to the distance it fell.
 * Renamed "Chat Settings" to "Multiplayer Settings".
 * Contains the old chat settings menu.
 * Option for cape-owners to hide their capes ingame.
 * Tweaks to debugging
 * F3+H now shows tool and armor durability on damaged items - On maps it shows the zoom level.
 * Now shows which cardinal direction the player is facing on the f value.
 * The pie chart on the F3 overlay is now shown when opening it using shift+F3 instead of vice versa.
 * Mobs no longer forget that they are aggressive against a player in Creative mode after a few seconds anymore.
 * Creepers now can have custom explosion radius and fuse timer using edited mob spawners and NBT tags.
 * Potion-like effects given by the Beacon now use semi-transparent particles, to be less intrusive.
 * Normal potions remain unchanged.
 * Level-up sound now only plays every 5 levels and has been tweaked.
 * Gaining experience from breeding animals.
 * Added a way to teleport a player relative to their current coordinates.
 * Use ~ to represent current position and then + or -.
 * For example, "/tp (player) ~+500 ~-5 6.13" teleports adds +500x, -5y, and moves the player to 6.13z.

| Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w40a | October 4, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w39b | September 28, 2012 | | Client Server (or .exe) |- | 12w39a | September 27, 2012 | Client Server (or .exe) Client Server (or .exe)
 * Added Swamp Hut structures, for Witches to spawn in
 * Added superflat preset "Redstone Ready" with a 52 layers of sandstone, 3 layers of stone, and 1 layer of bedrock
 * Flatworld configuration now allows you to generate trees, strongholds etc
 * Now pumpkins, tall grass, flowers, trees, mineshafts, dungeons, strongholds, lakes, desert wells, ravines and ores will spawn on superflat maps
 * Custom Item naming NBT tags (intended for custom map makers)
 * Using the NBT, it is possible to add custom names to items, as well as a lore list for that item
 * Better inventory management
 * The pick block action now works on blocks that are represented as items in the inventory. (Eg: Repeaters, redstone dust, tripwire)
 * Pressing the 1-9 hotkeys while hovering over an item will put that item into the inventory bar.
 * In creative mode, you can now shift-click items from the hotbar to the survival inventory screen
 * The left-click action will no longer open doors, pull levers, push buttons or open trapdoors. Use the right mouse button!
 * Firespread has been slightly nerfed again to prevent infinitely spreading fires
 * Beacon Texture altered, as well as the beam.
 * Eye of Ender can now be used in superflat worlds. (only if stronghold generation is enabled)
 * Slimes now spawn in Swamp biomes at low light level.
 * Custom potions
 * Only available by editing in with a world editor
 * Able to create potions with multiple effects
 * Command blocks had arguments added
 * Added "l" and "lm" arguments for indicating players with a maximum level, and minimum level, respectively
 * Added "r" and "lr" arguments for indicating the maximum and minimum range to which players will be affected
 * Added a command variable to the "/xp" command
 * Use "L" after number to represent number of levels, not number of xp.
 * For example "/xp 4L" will give a player 4 levels.
 * Added more options to customize spawners
 * Spawners can now have their range and maximum spawn limit customized.
 * Lighting system overhauled.
 * Many blocks previously incorrectly lit now interact correctly with lighting now (stairs, slabs, pistons, etc.)
 * Several sound tweaks
 * Changed Witch texture dimensions.
 * More bugfixes & slight tweaks.
 * Debug screen shows which chunk the player is in, as well as where in that chunk, next to the X and Z coordinates.
 * 12w38b
 * September 21, 2012
 * Updated sound engine and fixed wrong sounds.
 * Added minecart sounds.
 * Changed level-up sound.
 * Changed fall-damage sound.
 * Changed the new block placing sounds (implemented in 12w38a) back to original sounds.
 * New cave sound.
 * The fire charge makes the same sound as flint and steel when used
 * A few tweaks to the witch mob.
 * Can't hurt themselves now.
 * Texture changed slightly.
 * New drops
 * Misc potion ingredients
 * Sticks
 * Chance to drop what they're holding at the time of death
 * New creeper fall mechanics
 * Creepers will explode if they fall on you from a certain height.
 * Chance to drop what they're holding at the time of death
 * New creeper fall mechanics
 * Creepers will explode if they fall on you from a certain height.
 * 12w38a
 * September 20, 2012
 * The Nether loads faster when going through a portal.
 * In Creative mode, teleportation is instantaneous.
 * The water overlay is more saturated blue.
 * Updated and added new sounds by C418.
 * New footstep sounds: sand, gravel, soul sand, grass block, ladders, snow, and stone.
 * New block-placing sounds: wood, stone, plants, sand, gravel and torch.
 * Updated and added new sounds by C418.
 * New footstep sounds: sand, gravel, soul sand, grass block, ladders, snow, and stone.
 * New block-placing sounds: wood, stone, plants, sand, gravel and torch.

Beta 1.9 Pre-releases
Considered the "Lost Update", a full version under the name "Beta 1.9" never came. Instead, Mojang opted to delay the release of this update until MineCon 2011 and release it under the name "Minecraft 1.0.0". This decision was made after a few development versions tagged as Beta 1.9 were already sent out, so the name Beta 1.9 was kept for all of the development versions in the gap between Beta 1.8.1 and Minecraft 1.0.0, other than the Release Candidates.