Java Edition 1.9

, known as The Combat Update, is an upcoming update to Minecraft with no set release date. Dinnerbone has stated that many of the features he has shown for 1.9 are not “100% final”, so things may change later. Dinnerbone also stated that snapshots will be starting soon and probably more insight for the update at the Minecraft panel during Minecon.

Planned additions

 * Animations / Entity Models
 * Might include model changes within the NBT data.
 * Would be implemented via resource packs.
 * Will make better use of code so that map/mod makers can create better/new mobs.
 * Same as the block data changes in 1.8.


 * Blocks
 * New block type.
 * New unknown dark colored block.
 * Cannot be obtained and does not naturally generate.
 * Has a visual effect on the world.
 * Cannot be used in-game, and is a technical block used by Mojang internally to build generated structures
 * Grass Path
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like “path”. It features a somewhat similar texture to the grass block.
 * New blocks in the End
 * Captions / Subtitles
 * Subtitles which display for each sound for the hard of hearing/deaf.
 * An example would be “Creeper hissing”.
 * Would have to point in the direction this sound is coming from.
 * Gameplay
 * Added a left hand.
 * Option to play with the left hand as the main hand.
 * The main hand acts as the right hand did previously, while the other hand may equip an item through a new off-hand slot.
 * The off-hand slot is shown by a shield outline in the inventory.
 * While weapons can be equipped in both hands, a weapon may only be used while equipped to the main hand.
 * The other hand is only visible to the player when something is equipped there.
 * The right click action of your off-hand item is used if your main-hand doesn't have its own.
 * For example, if you have a pickaxe in your main hand and a torch in your other hand, right click places the torch.
 * Items in the off hand and the main hand can be swapped by pressing a key, which defaults to.
 * Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the off-hand item, while others will not.
 * Arrows in the off hand are prioritized over arrows in the rest of the inventory slots.


 * Generated structures
 * A new type of dungeon with new blocks and mobs.
 * Related to the “new dark colored block”
 * Added support to rotate and mirror structures.
 * New generated structures in the End, including a tower-like structure, smaller ground-based structures and other islands
 * Items
 * At least 4 new arrow types.
 * The gold colored arrow is the spectral arrow, which is a “utility” rather than being good at hurting.
 * Shields
 * Shown by a black shield outline in the picture.
 * Will be used for blocking instead of a sword.
 * Can be used to attack and defend at the same time.

Planned changes

 * Armor stands
 * Can now dual wield
 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses’ health bars, so they show at the same time without obstructing each other.
 * Command Blocks
 * Will have a new UI
 * Will contain tab to complete.
 * Clouds
 * New cloud rendering system.
 * Death messages
 * Death messages will now be displayed on the player's death screen as well as in the chat.
 * Ender dragon boss fight:
 * Will make it more similar to the fight in the Console Edition.
 * Some obsidian pillars will have iron bars surrounding the ender crystal.
 * The ender dragon now breathes purple particles.
 * The dragon will be able to respawn without resetting the End if it has already been killed.
 * Hostile mobs
 * Will now have animations to show that they are attacking.
 * Can dual wield.
 * Inventory
 * Rearranged the survival inventory and the creative "survival tab" to accommodate the new shield slot.
 * Maps
 * Are now only held in one arm, rather than two.
 * Shaders
 * Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.
 * Skeletons
 * Will have animated arms and bows.
 * Act a bit more like the player.
 * Arms are normally down, but they will bring them up to aim when aggravated.
 * They now have the same drawing animation as the player, indicating when they are going to attack and with how much force.
 * Swords
 * Can no longer be used for blocking.

Trivia

 * This has been the longest span of time between the release of a major update to Minecraft and a snapshot for the next major update, with 3616 days days now having elapsed since the release of 1.8 on September 2, 2014.
 * Until this point, the longest waits had been those between 1.7.2 and 14w02a (76 days), between 1.4.2 and 13w01a (70 days), and between 1.6.1 and 13w36a (66 days).