Java Edition 1.16

1.16, the first release of the Nether Update, is an upcoming major update to Java Edition set to release in 2020, which will overhaul the Nether. This update was announced at MINECON Live 2019. The update will not include the announced features for the mountains biome.

Blocks

 * Basalt
 * Makes up pillars.
 * Generates in Soulsand Valleys.


 * Soul Fire
 * Blue variant of fire.
 * Fire lit on soul soil is soul fire regardless of dimension.
 * Burns forever, similar to regular fire on netherrack.
 * Generates naturally in the Soulsand Valley biome in the Nether.
 * Deals twice the damage of normal fire.


 * Soul Soil
 * Generates in the Soulsand Valley, alongside conventional soul sand.
 * Fire lit on soul soil will be soul fire.
 * Unlike soul sand, soul soil does not slow the player down.


 * Warped Nether Wart Block
 * A variation of the nether wart block.
 * Generates in the warped forest as part of the fungi.


 * Shroomlight
 * A light-emitting block which closely resembles glowstone can also be seen.
 * Appears to correspond to the spots seen on new mushrooms, due to how it appears as part of large fungal structures in the netherwart forest.


 * Weeping Vines
 * Generates under crimson fungi in the Crimson Forest.


 * Crimson/Warped Nylium
 * Resembles grass blocks. Overworld plants cannot be placed.
 * Grows on top of netherrack.
 * Can be grown by using bone meal on netherrack.


 * Crimson / Warped Fungi
 * Two new types of mushroom that generate in the netherwart forests.
 * Can be used to breed hoglins.
 * Generates in both netherwart forest biomes.


 * Crimson/Warped Stem
 * Blocks that comprise trunks in the netherwart forest.
 * Red and blue variants.
 * Have animated textures.
 * Has a top texture similar to regular log blocks.
 * Can be crafted into planks purple and blue.


 * Crimson / Warped Planks
 * Purple and blue variants.


 * Ancient Debris


 * A new ore that can be found at low y-coordinate positions in the Nether.
 * Can be refined into Netherite Scrap by smelting in a furnace or blast furnace.
 * Cannot be blown up with TNT


 * Netherite Block


 * Can be crafted with (and back into) 9 Netherite Ingots.
 * Decorative.

Items

 * Spawn eggs
 * At least two new spawn eggs, implied to be that of the piglin and hoglin due to its appearance in the footage.


 * Netherite Scrap
 * Smelted in a furnace.
 * Used to create netherite ingots.
 * Created with 4 gold ingots and 4 netherite scraps.
 * Can be used to upgrade diamond tools and armor.


 * Netherite Armor
 * Is created with a piece of diamond armor and a netherite ingot.
 * Floats in lava but does not burn.
 * Does not take damage from the player being on fire.
 * Each armor part reduces 10% of knockback
 * Each armor part adds +3 points of toughness, more than diamond.


 * Netherite Sword
 * Created with a diamond sword and a netherite ingot.
 * Has an attack damage of the highest of any non-enchanted sword.
 * Floats in lava and does not burn.
 * Have the largest durability.


 * Netherite Axe
 * Created with a diamond axe and a netherite ingot.
 * Has an attack damage of the highest of any axe.
 * They are more efficient too, removing blocks faster than diamond.
 * Floats in lava and does not burn.
 * Have the largest durability.

Mobs

 * Hoglins
 * Have a baby variant.
 * Found in the Crimson Forest.
 * Are hostile towards the player.
 * Appear to have a higher melee range than most mobs.
 * Can be bred using the new mushrooms and used as a source of food in the Nether.
 * Appear to drop raw beef, though this is a placeholder.
 * In the first snapshot, they always drop a single rotten flesh.
 * Name has been chosen by the community to be "Hoglin" (previously known as "Piglin Beast" as a placeholder name).
 * Has an attack that flings the target into the air, similar to iron golems.

World generation

 * Biomes
 * The Nether will get at least three new biomes:
 * The Soulsand Valley is a vast grotto composed of uncovered fossils, soul sand, soul soil, large pillars made of basalt, blue fog and soul fire. The mobs found are skeletons, ghasts and endermen.
 * The Crimson Forest is a dense forest with large fungi made of nether wart blocks. These blocks and fungi are found in patches on the ground and in ceiling stalagmites. Weeping vines grow from under the fungi.
 * The Warped Forest is a blue-colored variation of the Crimson Forest, but with somewhat different vegetation (without vines) and particle, fog effects. Only endermen spawn there.


 * Basalt Pillar
 * Floor to ceiling pillars that generate in Soulsand Valleys made out of basalt.


 * Crimson Fungi and Warped Fungi
 * Tree-like structures resembling the new mushrooms that generate in netherwart forests.
 * Red and blue variants
 * Made of crimson and warped stem blocks as well as red nether wart blocks and warped wart blocks.
 * The fungi structures are be resistant to fire.

Blocks

 * Bone blocks
 * Will generate in Soulsand Valley biomes making fossils a more common sight.


 * The Nether
 * The old, standard nether biome is called "Nether Wastes".
 * Have an altered generation: it is more open and cavernous.


 * Nether wart blocks
 * Will generate in Netherwart Forest biomes.


 * Soul sand
 * Will generate in Soulsand Valley biomes.


 * Walls
 * Changed the way walls interact with each other.

Blocks

 * Target Block.png Target Block
 * Emits a redstone signal when shot with an arrow.
 * Signal is stronger depending on how close the arrow is to the center of the block. The signal strength goes up to 15.

Mobs

 * Piglin.png Piglins
 * Found in the Nether.
 * Have an adult and baby variant, as zombie pigmen and hoglins.
 * Are naturally hostile towards the player, unless the player is wearing gold armor.
 * Even if the player wears gold armor, piglins will become aggravated towards the player if they open a chest containing any item crafted with or related to gold near the piglin.
 * They can wield gold swords or crossbows.
 * Will drop arrows if wielding a crossbow.
 * Will be able to "barter" (similar to trading) with the player.
 * To barter with piglins, players have to throw them a gold ingot and piglins will throw them an item in exchange.
 * Will attack wither skeletons and adult hoglins.
 * Will be able to spawn with golden armor.

World generation

 * Bastions
 * Fortifications built by piglins that are found in the Nether.

Mobs

 * Zombie pigmen
 * Will be renamed to zombified piglins.

Gameplay

 * Respawning
 * Players will be able to respawn in the Nether.
 * How is currently unknown. This may be indicative of the return of the crying obsidian.

Unconfirmed features
These features were mentioned during the development of Java Edition 1.16 or earlier, or during MINECON Live 2019, but have not been confirmed to be added in this update.


 * Illusioners
 * May be added to raids.


 * Pigs
 * The feature of pigs transforming to zombie pigmen when struck by lightning may be removed.


 * Smithing table and Fletching table
 * May get functionality. It was mentioned during the development of Village & Pillage that it would be added in "...the next major themed update..."