Java Edition 16w02a

16w02a is the forty-ninth snapshot released for 1.9, and the first snapshot released in 2016.

Additions

 * Volume slider labeled "Voice/Speech" under "Music & Sounds"
 * Intended to be used for voice acting in custom maps

Blocks

 * Bedrock
 * Can no longer drop itself as an item
 * Air
 * Now translatable into other languages, for the purposes of superflat customization
 * Beacons
 * Now immediately activate when placed on valid pyramids
 * Stone buttons
 * Now break faster with pickaxes.
 * Wooden buttons
 * Now break faster with axes.

Items

 * Changed damage/armor values again to protect armored players against "backstabbing" creepers
 * Reduction in effective defense points due to attack strength will no longer take the effective defense below 25% of the armor points.
 * Max (20) armor points damage reduction increased back to 80% (was 66% since 15w36a).
 * Attack cooldown does not have as great an effect on damage: reduction is linear 50%–100% rather than quadratic 0%–100%.

Mobs

 * Ender dragons summoned using will now stay in the same position no matter what
 * Unlike summoning a dragon with, it will still flap its wings
 * These dragons do not show their boss health bar, nor do they take damage from any attack other than
 * Mobs are now knocked back from non-entity damage sources such as cacti (reverted in 16w03a).

Non-mob entities

 * Marker s
 * Will now only outline their equipment when glowing

Command format

 * Selector argument
 * Supports both negation and literal gamemode values, for example:
 * ,, and


 * Now accepts a sound  as its second parameter
 * Now outputs various messages prefixed by "Searge says:" when run in a command block.
 * Now outputs various messages prefixed by "Searge says:" when run in a command block.
 * Now outputs various messages prefixed by "Searge says:" when run in a command block.

Video
Video made by slicedlime: