Java Edition 15w31a

15w31a is the first snapshot released for 1.9.

Gameplay

 * Dominant hand option
 * An option for players to change their dominant hand on their player model
 * Dual wielding
 * Only the main hand can be used for attacking
 * Bows can be used even when something is in the other hand
 * The other hand is invisible in first person view when not holding something
 * Key to swap items between hands, which is by default
 * For example, if you have a pickaxe in your main hand and a torch in your other hand, right click places the torch* The off-hand slot is displayed next to the hotbar, on the off-hand side (left for right-hand players and vice versa)
 * Some attributes and enchantments will apply to the off-hand item, while others will not.
 * Status effects
 * Levitation status effect
 * Recieved when player is hit by shulker projectiles
 * Makes player involuntarily float high into the air
 * Can be used to get to higher places
 * Listed as a negative effect due to the potential to kill from fall damage
 * Spectral status effect
 * Recieved when players or mobs are hit by spectral arrows
 * Makes player's outline glow, seen even through non-transparent blocks
 * Listed as a negative effect because it prevents you from hiding from players once you are hit
 * Supports different colors for different teams to allow usage in competitive maps, team co-op maps, etc.

Blocks

 * Grass path
 * A 15/16 block tall grass-like “path”. It features a somewhat similar texture to the grass block.


 * Purpur Block


 * Purpur Pillar


 * Purpur Stairs


 * Purpur Slab


 * End Stone Bricks


 * End Rod
 * Placable horizonally and vertically which produce white particles


 * Dragon mob head

Items

 * Chorus fruit
 * Obtained from chorus plants
 * Can be eaten even if the player is not hungry, similar to Golden Apples.
 * Chorus flowers
 * Spawn on the top of the chorus plant
 * Don't drop when the supporting block is destroyed so you need to hand-pick them.
 * Can be planted on End Stone in any dimension.
 * Arrows
 * Fourteen new arrow types.* New spectral arrow (gold colored)
 * Shows mob and player outlines in their team color when hit – even when invisible
 * NBT tag for entities to disable outlines
 * The glowing is a status effect – you can find out whether you're glowing from a spectral arrow using the status effect HUD
 * Arrows can be tipped with potions
 * Each differently tipped arrow is available in the creative menu, just like enchanted books
 * Effect is applied on hit
 * Dragon breath
 * Dropped by the Ender Dragon

World generation

 * End city dungeon
 * Dungeon-type structure: "Tree" houses made of end stone and new blocks, including stairs
 * Contains the shulker mob
 * Generates on separate end islands arranged around the main island in a donut fashion
 * Chorus plants
 * Tree/cactus-like arrangements of new purple block.
 * Drop when supporting block is destroyed, like cacti.
 * Drop edible chorus fruit items.
 * Can be farmed by planting the chorus fruit flowers that come from the top of the plants.
 * Grow in stages.
 * Generated structures
 * Added support to rotate and mirror structures.
 * End gateway portal
 * Appears after killing the dragon
 * New type of portal, due to its size it is only accessible using ender pearls.
 * Used to warp to other end islands depending on the direction of the ender pearl throw.

Mobs

 * Shulker
 * Short for "Shell Lurker"
 * The shell looks like a purple block
 * It can appear on the ground or walls
 * Appears in the End city dungeons
 * Using commands, they can be made to be part of a team to attack other teams and can be used as defense mobs
 * When attacking, opens up and shoots projectiles which only move along the x/y/z axis
 * Projectiles can be knocked away by attacking them.
 * Getting hit by one causes damage and provides the levitation status effect

General

 * Shaders
 * Switch away from using fixed-function OpenGL to using Shaders.
 * Options


 * Removed Super Secret Settings and Broadcast Settings
 * Removed Alternate Blocks from video settings
 * Block models
 * Models can be put together based on BlockState attributes – As a result, the vanilla set of block models was reduced by almost 300 models
 * These will also be changed in resource packs, allowing better rotation and translation handling, as well as consistent left hand support.

Gameplay

 * Bosses
 * Proper support for multiple bosses’ health bars, so they show at the same time without obstructing each other.
 * Death messages
 * Death messages will now be displayed on the player's death screen as well as in the chat.
 * Inventory
 * Rearranged the survival inventory and the creative "survival tab" to accommodate the new off hand slot.
 * Items
 * Can now render when equipped into the head slot
 * Status effects
 * Status effects are now displayed on the HUD, instead of just in the inventory, similarly to Pocket Edition
 * Displays status effect icons ordered by time left
 * Positive effects are on the top row, negative effects on the bottom row
 * Effects that are about to run out blink, faster when closer to running out and also fade away
 * New "Glowing" effect
 * Triggered when hit by a spectral arrow
 * New "Levitation" effect
 * Triggered when hit by a Shulker beam

Commands

 * Allows for mirroring/rotating structures
 * Allows for mirroring/rotating structures

Blocks

 * Armor stands
 * Can now dual wield
 * Dead bushes
 * Will now drop anywhere between 0–2 sticks
 * Ender crystals
 * A version of the ender crystal can be crafted which spawns another dragon when placed

Items

 * Bows
 * The bow in your hotbar now shows an arrow when being drawn.
 * Arrows in the off hand are prioritized over arrows in the rest of the inventory slots.
 * Ender pearls
 * Can now be thrown in creative mode
 * Maps
 * Now display as a mini map when held in either hand, rather than being held with both hands.
 * Swords
 * Can no longer be used for blocking.

World generation

 * End island
 * A set amount of differently-sized pillars are arranged in a circular fashion
 * The tallest pillars have iron bars around their ender crystal
 * This makes it so that you have to climb some of the pillars, making the fight harder
 * The exit portal is pre-generated, but without the dragon egg and portal blocks
 * Infinite number of islands in the end

Mobs

 * Ender dragon
 * Revamped boss fight inspired by the Console Edition.
 * The dragon can be respawned as often as you want by placing player-made craftable ender crystals, but subsequent dragons don't drop as much XP and won't drop a dragon egg
 * The dragon breathes fire/purple particles on players and mobs
 * The dragon will defend the obsidian pillars more the further the fight progresses
 * Every dragon drops dragon breath, but only one dragon egg can be obtained
 * A more controlled dragon
 * Hostile mobs
 * Will now have animations to show that they are attacking.
 * Can dual wield, but only use their right hand item.
 * Skeletons
 * Skeletons now animate their bow
 * They pull it out when becoming hostile and draw it back to shoot arrows
 * Mapmakers can make skeletons shoot potion-tipped arrows
 * All mobs
 * More different textures for mobs

Fixes

 * Other fixes
 * Arrows no longer occasionally collide with a glitched 'invisible wall'.