Java Edition 1.9

1.9, known as The Combat Update, is an upcoming update to Minecraft with no set release date, currently listed in the bug tracker as "Far Future Version - 1.9+" as well as mentioned by the Minecraft developers.

Planned additions

 * Dark colored block
 * A new block type.
 * A way for mod/plugin makers to implement new commands and register them in a simple way.
 * Animation / Entity Models
 * Could possibly include model changes within the NBT data.
 * Would be implemented via resource packs.
 * This will make better use in the code, so that map/mod makers can create better/new mobs.
 * Just as the same changes in 1.8 for the block data change.
 * May take some time before it's completed.
 * Pressed Dirt
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like "path". It features a similar texture to the grass block.
 * Captions / Subtitles
 * Subtitles which display for each sound for the hard of hearing/deaf.
 * An example would be "[creeper hissing]"

Planned changes

 * Command blocks
 * New GUI
 * Will contain tab to complete.
 * Clouds
 * New cloud rendering system.
 * Shaders
 * Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.
 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses including boss bars for each boss.
 * Ender Dragon boss fight
 * A redo of the Ender Dragon's boss fight, making it similar to the fight in Console Edition.
 * Some obsidian pillars have iron bars surrounding the ender crystal.
 * Now breathes purple particles.
 * The dragon will respawn without resetting the End if it has already been killed.

Trivia

 * 1.9's title, The Combat Update, was discovered in Mojang's April Fool's prank snapshot, 15w14a, by how snow was coded to form a QR code that could be scanned to find the title. Dinnerbone later said that this wasn't a joke.