Java Edition upcoming features

This page is about upcoming features that have been announced by Mojang employees.

Near future
{| class="collapsible wikitable" style="width: 100%" ! style="width:5em; height:3em" | Version ! Planned changes ! style="width:8em" | Planned release date
 * style="text-align: center;" | 1.8
 * style="text-align: left;" |
 * style="text-align: left;" |

General

 * Difficulty
 * Difficulty can be locked for each world.
 * This is so you do not open a Survival World on peaceful difficulty by accident.
 * Also to avoid temptation to change to an easier difficulty in hairy situations.
 * Adventure Mode
 * Hitboxes of blocks appear in Adventure mode only if the block can be interacted with (chests, levers, etc.).
 * Commands
 * New command /blockdata. It will be able to modify NBT data at a specific coordinate. The  will merge with the block at that position.
 * Usage format: /blockdata    
 * Capability to detect entities in the same fashion as blocks.

Gameplay

 * Enchanting
 * Has separated XP level requirement, XP level cost and resource cost. For example, an enchantment may have a XP level requirement of 13, that is it will only become available for enchanting after reaching 13 levels of experience, but it will only cost 2 XP levels and 2 golden ingots
 * Currently the only (known) resource is gold ingots.
 * One enchantment name will show in English when mousing over the enchantment. This means that additional enchantments could still be applied, even if they aren't mentioned in the tooltip. For example, if it says "Sharpness" in the tooltip when enchanting a sword, you know the enchantment can't include Smite or Bane of Arthropods, since they are not compatible with each other. However it may still add Knockback or Fire Aspect.
 * Only one (randomly chosen) enchantment will be displayed in the tooltip
 * Enchantments only cost 1-3 XP levels.
 * Each additional XP level adds a tier of enchantment.
 * The list of possible enchantments is not reset until you enchant an item
 * In multiplayer, the individual player will have to enchant an item in order for his/her own enchantment list to update.
 * Levels are harder to obtain.
 * Anvil
 * Anvils will be re-balanced to meet the new enchanting system.
 * Renaming costs only one level.
 * Repairing costs are "flattened" for all items.

Blocks & Items

 * Door
 * They are stackable up to 64
 * The crafting recipe for doors now gives 3 doors instead of one.
 * Granite
 * A pink-brown stone
 * Comes in two variants: "Raw" and "Smooth"
 * style="text-align: center;" | 2014 (snapshots in January)
 * }